It’s not about straight lines

bright green reed bed in the middle of a lake in shadow

Walking along the hillside in warm sunshine and a balmy breeze, I reflected on the delightful unpredictability of weather in the valley. This was miles from the dismal chill of last week when I thought the layers were here to stay. In reality, straight lines are an illusion. Pause. See differently. Re-story 🌿

An echo chamber of one is not much fun…

a row of alpacas and their reflections in the water

As you know, I don’t do rhyme… so to offer you a weekend smile: An echo chamber of one is not much fun. While two is better and three is greater,  four or more could be the core of a beautiful and magnificent chorus. ~ Our little valley operates as an acoustic chamber. It’s easy to … Read more

So, how do you know?

cluster of ripe and unripe blackberries

How do you know when the berries are ripe? Or when it’s time to cut the hay? And when do the fledglings know it’s time to leave the nest or the goslings leave the lake? Or the leaves start to turn, and the fungi push their fruiting bodies into the air?  It’s not a knowing … Read more

Tempo Giusto – at the right speed

feather upside down at the water's edge

It takes being fully invested in the present to know the right speed because there are no ‘do-overs’. “Be fast when it makes sense to be fast, and be slow when slowness is called for. Seek to live at what musicians call the tempo giusto – the right speed.” + Carl Honoré, from ‘In Praise … Read more

Where is your precious attention?

dew on spider's web

At the start of his brilliant book, The Art of Noticing: Discover What Really Matters to You, Rob Walker quotes Amy Krouse Rosenthal: “For anyone trying to discern what to do with their life: pay attention to what you pay attention to. That’s pretty much all the information you need.” It’s an excellent question to … Read more

Life is not a straight line

winding path in the trees

A few days ago, I was reminded of a wise insight from the poet David Whyte: ‘If you can see your path clearly laid out before you, it is not your path.’ It is in the curves, the hidden contours and the unexpected detours that we grow and experience our becoming. Because life is not … Read more

The way the light comes in

the-way-the-light-comes-in

Sometimes when we’re searching for meaning or an answer, nothing shows up. Until the light comes in. And then we cannot unsee what the light, or insight, has revealed. It changes everything. And us. Sometimes, we simply have to wait and allow our patience muscles to be stretched and strengthened. Yet it might also be … Read more

What is quiet?

what-is-quiet

Most of us live in worlds that are far from quiet. We’ve become attuned to noise and activity as the wallpaper of our existence. The things that vie for our attention, that become our normal. So it’s not surprising that we think of quiet as being absence. But what if, rather than nothingness, quiet was … Read more

Being open to new stories

being-open-to-new-stories

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