On this day of honouring women who inspire us, I want to celebrate the person and work of Margaret Wheatley. I grew up in an era and culture that appreciated women as long as they stayed within boundaries. We enjoyed the gifts that women brought but didn’t hear their voices or recognise their leadership. And … Read more
The stories that frame our expectations of ourselves are probably laid down in childhood. And then set in concrete by our experience of life. But are they real? What if they are other people’s projections that meet their need for status or control? Turning them off can be so liberating. Do what you can with … Read more
I’ve been carrying this quote around in my metaphorical pocket for days: Do what you can with what you have. Nothing more is needed. + Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Cannongate, 2023 I sensed it was significant for me and potentially for others. And while I understood the words, what did … Read more
When you’ve been tussling with something for a long time, you wonder if you’ll ever reach the end. And then something happens. A word or comment. An insight. Simply seeing it from another angle. And there it is. The answer is in plain sight. Yet it wasn’t in plain sight. It wasn’t that we’ve been … Read more
A fruitful rest? Somehow this tips on its head all our culture tries to tell us. That we earn fruitfulness, that it only comes through striving. And rest is a means to an end. But what if we’ve misunderstood the very nature of life? THE FECUND FALLOW And what if all this waiting;this trembling body … Read more
This is Jac. I was trying to photograph those beautiful morning-sun-lit trees in the background. But Jac wanted to be in the frame. We all have Jacs. And sometimes, it’s us who assume centre stage. This is the way of life, and we have the opportunity to discern the difference between ego and calling. Because … Read more
We tend to get caught up in the flow when the pace is swift. Yet we can train our eyes to look deeper, to see what’s beneath the surface. Because often, that’s where the treasure lies.
I’ve been wondering if the prevailing notion of time as a measurement isn’t serving us well. We think of time as a unit of existence or resource that can be spent or wasted. Which leads to huge pressure to use it efficiently. Therefore, we feel like we’ve failed if we don’t. And because our language … Read more
Have you noticed? Often our significant questions invite us to sit with them for a while. Yet we’re in such a hurry. We’ve become conditioned to believe that questions need clear answers. Now. But how would we know we’re looking at it the wrong way round, upside down, or back to front? Indeed what if … Read more
What’s that shimmeringin the corner of my eye?Unexpectedly expected,it’s been hovering there a while, soundless, patientlywaiting to be noticed.It’s the turning pointwe only understandafter it’s happened.