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
One of the advantages of living in a little valley with relatively steep sides is that everything is amplified. Birdsong is all around, and often you can discern the exchanges, friendly or otherwise, from one side to the other. I don’t speak ‘bird’ but do recognise tones and patterns. And in the narrower, deeper section … Read more
Reflecting, having both the urgency and the opportunity to pause. To ask the bigger questions of life that easily get caught up in surviving. I return to the words that frame who I am and who I want to be: May I live this day Compassionate of heart, Clear in word, Gracious in awareness, Courageous … Read more
Isn’t it glorious! Who we are and why we are here are always part of a bigger story. So as we move forward into the new year, let’s be open to asking more expansive questions. Of ourselves and each other. Together, with hope and courage.
The poem I wrote for yesterday’s post – When time turns – invites honest reflection: OBSERVING BECOMING The pattern of our liveswoven in the fabric of time,each strand a choice,each colour an expressionof who we’re brave enoughto become. And one of the reflections I am currently holding is the more than 100,000 words I’ve written … Read more
This week, death has nudged a little closer: the devastating war, the shameful famine, the choaking of the earth and the passing of time. And for some, it is closer to home. In the face of this, we have a range of choices. From closing the door and hoping it doesn’t come any nearer, to … Read more
“In the bigger scheme of things, the universe is not asking us to do something, the universe is asking us to be something. And that’s a whole different thing.” – Lucille Clifton These profoundly insightful words from the poet Lucille Clifton say it all. Being is where we started. All of us. And we forget … Read more
I wonder, what would you call this flower? Cuckooflower Milkmaids Lady’s smock Cuckoo bittercress Whitsuntide gilliflower Mayflower Cardamine pratensis Or do you have another name? And as you read these words, where do they take you? For me, the familiar name is Milkmaids, and it takes me back to field margins on my home farm … Read more
Do we thinkwe see whatwe see? Or do wesee whatwe feel, andthinkis it real? Are we opento knowingbeyond seeing,and observethe spacebetween uswith compassion? And can wepeer inside,for the shadowsreveal meaningfrom knowingand seeingand feeling –with tenderness –if we don’tdemandsimpleanswers.
This is a time like no other. In one sense, we could never fully prepare for it. We just have to walk it. Day by day. Yet each of us craves different things. For me, it’s clarity. Being able to see clearly. Where am I going and what should I be doing each day? Because … Read more