The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, Shambhala Mountain Center
1. Even though I haven’t been publishing as much of it here, I’ve been writing a lot. Last weekend I was at a writing and meditation retreat led by Susan Piver, and while I was there, I wrote and edited 12,000 words, (I was working on my book, which you may have heard me mention here before). I have so much to say, so much to tell you, kind and gentle reader, but right now so much of it is landing in that other container.
2. I understand now that as I writer, I need to live everything twice. I haven’t fully processed anything, don’t truly understand, and most certainly can’t let it go until I’ve written about it. Because of this, there are some very painful things I’ve lived in the past seven years that I’m not done with yet.
3. The theme for me recently seems to be “letting go.” I was reminded of it this morning as I went through my email. There was a message from Sherry at Simply Celebrate, a new blog post she’d written, {Permission Slip} Let it go!, in which she says, “I hereby grant you permission to stop doing things — especially things you really don’t want to do or are too tired to do — and allow yourself to simply enjoy the people you love.” And then a post from my friend Kat, who shares about making a brave transition in her writing life, It’s Time to Go. She was prompted by a painful experience, but is using it as motivation to take her power back. And a Daily Truth email from Brave Girls Club which reminds that it’s not only okay to let go, but necessary.
One wish: That we let go of whatever no longer serves us, that we process and understand that which we still carry with us and finally are able to let it go too, that we sink into a season of quiet and rest (even if just for a few days) in which we allow ourselves to enjoy those we love, and may we remember to include ourselves in that love.
1. Christmas Time Is Here – Daniela Andrade ft. Cutest Dog in the Galaxy. This is from last year, but it’s still my favorite, the video and the song. Daniela’s Christmas album, simply called The Christmas EP, is one of my favorites.
3. Building a Mindful New Year Together with Susan Piver. “6 days, 6 themes, 12 meditations, 9 teachers,” December 26th – 31st, FREE. I did this program last year and loved it.
5. Wisdom from Geneen Roth, “The purpose of healing is not to be forever happy; that is impossible. The purpose of healing is to be awake. And to live while you are alive instead of dying while you are alive. Healing is about being broken and whole at the same time. Healing is about opening our hearts, not closing them. It is about softening the places in us that won’t let love in. Healing is a process.”
6. Joyful January from Writing Our Way Home. “31 days of joy” which includes 31 daily emails, an essay on joy, four daily joy practices, and a guide to writing small stones. This would make a great last minute holiday gift.
7. Wisdom from Michael Xavier,
So,
You want to be tough.
You want to be rebellious.
You want to be a bad ass.
Then show your heart to everyone…
EVERYONE.
8. Solace, Helene Athanasiadis’s upcoming book, “A poetic study of the beautiful spaces women create for themselves. Rooms of serenity & calm, to retreat from the everyday…solace.” The images she’s shared so far are gorgeous. (Thanks to Pia for the share).
9. Wisdom from Tom Gates, “It’s a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you’re hurt.”
10. The 100 Day Promise from Sandi Amorim. “The 100 Day Promise is a practice that guides you through the process of change in an in-depth and soulful way.” An amazing program, a brilliant coach, and a wonderful gift to give yourself.
19. The Compassion Collective. “Today’s refugee crisis is the worst humanitarian emergency the world has seen since World War II. Just as the Greatest Generation’s response to the holocaust defined them, so will our response define us. We want to be remembered as the generation that chose Love over Fear.”
20. Living in a high-stakes universe, in which Seth Godin says, “We’re capable of doing great work without the drama. In fact, over time, the lack of drama can enable us to do great work.” *mic drop*
23. Stop Blaming the Alcoholic. This statistic is shocking, even to me who has been so close to this issue, “Eighteen million people in the U.S. suffer from alcohol use disorder.”
25. Adele Live in New York City. “Multiple Grammy Award-winning singer Adele performs a special one-night only concert in New York at Radio City Music Hall. This extraordinary performance marks the artist’s first concert in the U.S. since fall 2011 and her largest show to date in New York.” Can’t wait to watch this.
26. A Christmas Story from Sunni Chapman. Seriously so sweet. *sniffle*
27. This post from Unofficial: Keanu Reeves Online on Facebook, which makes such an important point, and ends with this,
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Eat the delicious food. Walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean. Say the truth that you’re carrying in your heart like hidden treasure. Be silly. Be kind. Be weird. There’s no time for anything else.
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 