Category: Wandering
-
Gnats…
Monday’s blog was about paying attention to how we react to a seemingly insignificant insect bite. Mosquitoes make their presence known, we deal, sometimes violently. Smaller, quiet gnats don’t bother everyone. They love me. They flit, they nip, they escape my slaps and ignore my fighting words. Others don’t notice or claim these personal attacks…
-
Relax…Wake UP!
Last month a smoke alarm battery announced its death when we returned home after an overseas flight. We foggily climbed a ladder and replaced it with the last spare battery. Done. Fixed. Ah, complacency, the zone where all is at rest. Relax, until… Wake UP! Another failing battery brought peaceful slumber to a screeching halt. At 1:30…
-
Pivot 2…
Creatives lay their souls bare when they usher an object of beauty from their private world into a public one. We are called to birth (yes, it is that long and difficult) a one-off thing and then share it with an audience greater than one. Patience is key. Sending our work to flight too soon…
-
Music Appreciation…
It is quiet in my office, with only the rustling wind announcing a coming storm. Most writing days are like this, but earlier I had cranked up the volume on a favorite playlist to energize me. Moving to the beat really got me going, until my head was bobbing, even banging. I am so thankful…
-
What’s Stopping You?…
Monday we wiped away greasy fingerprints of doubt to look through clear-vision dream lenses. What about looking inward? Fearful you’ll find clumsiness, ignorance or total lack of ability? Doubtful. There’s a subconscious wellspring of ability and knowledge that drives you to do what you love, an unmistakable molten core. Too often we allow doubts and…
-
Word of the Year…
This year I’m adopting a focus word for 2024; one to ground me, spur me on toward an inward or outward goal. I’m trained to be a keen observer. That can translate to deep passion on all sides – love but also judgement, joy but also fear, excitement but also agitation. While seeking signs of…
-
Observe an Unknown World…
We’ve just returned from exploring and savoring a new-to-us culture. I put writing aside for a week, fearful I’d forget where I was on the page, lose interest in the characters or worse, cast passion into the ocean and trade the sharp points of purpose for the smooth edges of passivity. I journaled awe-inspiring moments…
-
Enthusiasm…
Miriam Webster defines enthusiasm as “intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval.” Plus this archaic, derogatory meaning: “religious fervor supposedly resulting directly from divine inspiration, typically involving speaking in tongues and wild, uncoordinated movements of the body.” The Latin origin is “inspired or possessed by a god.” I recently read a quote comparing enthusiasm to…
-
A Letter to My Family and Friends…
My sister tells me I used to write poetry while she played piano. I remember sitting in my closet to read or write. It didn’t matter that they were silly little poems and stories. Later I wrote recaps of football games my dad watched. Didn’t every kid do that? No big deal. Easily dismissed, especially…
-
Marvelous Multiplicity…
What if you were really good at one thing? What if it was at the exclusion of all else? Recent conversations have revolved around the frustration of being good at many things, but never the outlier. Can you relate? I challenge you to see the beauty of the world of multiplicity. Find a comfy spot…