Each day I read this verse from John O’Donohue’s blessing For Matins, from Benedictus: A Book of Blessings May I live this day Compassionate of heart,Clear in word,Gracious in awareness,Courageous in thought,Generous in love. And yesterday a friend sent me a link to a New York Times article that made my heart sing: Fighting Racism, … Read more
We don’t have to do everything. We can’t be perfect. Yet we can make good trouble. And perhaps that’s what we’re here for.
Sometimes our language is simply too narrow. We have one word when we need several with more nuance. ‘Disturbance’ is one of them. There’s a world of difference between being disturbed by something repulsive and something that questions our mindset, enabling us to see with a healthier perspective. The word also doesn’t allow for timeliness. … Read more
There’s a path in the woods where the dog and I used to walk every day. I haven’t been there as often since she died a month ago. And now the path is overgrown with bramble and bracken. In some places, I can’t even find the track again. This is a visceral reminder for me … Read more
So what stops us from moving forward? We often think it is fear or not enough discipline and willpower. Or perfectionism – we don’t want to fail. Perhaps it’s not knowing enough or being unclear about where we are going. Yes, all of these and more are contributors. And each of us will have our … Read more
What disturbs you? Does it disturb you enough to do something about it? And how far would you go? These are uncomfortable words, and they often drive us in one direction. More. Louder. Faster. Yet disturbing the present may require turning off the noise, quietening the constant chatter in our heads, and being still enough … Read more
Unwinding,uncurling,unfurling,opening-upthe shapesformedover longwinter’sdark. Not retreating,but revealingby goingbackto source –our tomorrowdoesn’t startwithtoday. Deep in thought as I wandered through the valley, I intentionally walked around a small circular path in the opposite way to normal. My thinking was stuck, and I was curious to see what would happen by shifting my usual pattern. What might you … Read more
Words change culture. Yesterday I celebrated – via LinkedIn – with Sarah Corbett when The Oxford English Dictionary chose ‘craftivist’ as its word of the day. OED Word of the Day: Craftivist, n. A person who creates and displays handmade objects, esp. items incorporating knitted or sewn text or imagery, to promote a political message … Read more
We don’t need to shout,but we do need to speak. We can’t make everything right,but we can make some things better. We can’t see the whole – yet,but we are noticing shifts. Changes that are happening,people who are emergingas if from a deep sleep,covered by layersof neglect and judgement,awakeningto a new dawn. Glimpses of hopein … Read more
I love questions. Not questions designed to destroy or damage, but those that gracefully disrupt our thinking. And shift the conversations we are having with ourselves and with others. It takes care to construct these kinds of questions. It’s a germination process that may take time, allowing the possibilities rest and breathe before letting them … Read more