Choosing to be free

choosing-to-be-free

We have stories about ourselves,and those are not who we are.We have stories about the work,and those are not what the work is. + Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Canongate 2023 Some stories serve us for a time. And then we need to let them go. Otherwise, we are stuck in … Read more

Our gloriously messy new beginnings

our-gloriously-messy-new-beginnings

Have you noticed how new beginnings are usually messy despite our hopes and best intentions? This isn’t a failure but a beautiful expression of life. And life has its way of emerging, which is always more than we could imagine. So let’s permit ourselves to engage with playful anticipation. Because new beginnings aren’t a test … Read more

On exchanging little gifts of kindness

on-exchanging-little-gifts-of-kindness

This is what a frog looks like when they’ve been hoicked out of a steep-sided plastic water bucket (great for alpacas but not for frogs). The encounter reminded me of other gifts exchanged on Friday. During an online conversation, a friend asked a simple question that stayed with me over the weekend. It unlatched windows … Read more

Knowing what matters is a gift

knowing-what-matters-is-a-gift

In a world of hollow noise and superficial reaction, knowing what matters to us is a gift. Yet so often, we’ve settled for something less. Perhaps it’s been what pleases others, makes us look good or avoids our fears. Yet on those occasions when all else is stripped away, and we see clearly what matters … Read more

What do we think we hear?

what-do-we-think-we-hear

What do you hear when you see water gushing over rocks? I hear a rumble and roar as the lake fills and overflows after rainfall. It gets louder and reverberates as it descends to the open mouth of the underground tunnel – the reservoir’s original draw–off point over a century ago. Yet here’s the thing. … Read more

Owning your beautiful voice

owning-your-beautiful-voice

Oh yes, I know it’s you… …I recognise your voice! Those who know us well never fail to recognise our voice, even if we only say a word or two. They know us by our intonation, our accent, our pitch, how fast we speak, where we take our breath, and so much more. And even … Read more

Being at one with the contradictions

being-at-one-with-the-contradictions

I suspect I’m not the only one who, when faced with contradictions, assumes I must be doing something wrong. Yet things that ‘don’t add up’ is the very nature of life. Yesterday I was struck by the glorious call to being awake from the daffodils and caught the urgency of being alive. Yet I also … Read more

Freewheeling in the wind

freewheeling-in-the-wind

Echoes of the storm’s song still swirling above the valley where seagulls collectively play in the wind, abandoned to the sheer delight of being. When did we stop trying to fly and thought it was advancement? + Sue Heatherington Pause. See differently. Re-story 🌿