Here’s another posting from Daily OM called “Moving Through Darkness” that I’m excited to share with you
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In life, most of us want things to go to the places we have envisioned ourselves going. We have plans and visions, some of them divinely inspired, that we want to see through to completion. We want to be happy, successful, and healthy, all of which are perfectly natural and perfectly human. So when life takes us to places we didnt consciously want to go, we often feel as if something has gone wrong, or we must have made a mistake somewhere along the line, or any number of other disheartening possibilities. This is just lifes way of taking us to a place we need to go for reasons that go deeper than our own ability to reason. These hard knocks and trials are designed to shed light on our unconscious workings and deepen our experience of reality.
Often it takes something major to wake us up, to shake us loose from our egos grip as it struggles to maintain an illusion of control. It is loss of control more than anything else that humbles us and enables us to see the big picture. It reminds us that the key to the universe lies in what we do not know, and what we do know is a small fraction of the great mystery in which we live. This awareness softens and lightens us, as we release our resistance to what is. Another gift gleaned from going to these seemingly undesirable places is that, in our response to difficulty, we can see all the patterns and unresolved emotional baggage that stand in the way of our unconditional joyfulness. Joy exists within us independently of whether things go our way or not. And when we dont feel it, we can trust that we will find it if we are willing to surrender to the situation, moving through it as we move through our difficult feelings.
We can take our inspiration from any fairy tale that finds its central character lost in a dark wood, frightened and alone. We know that the journey through the wood provides its own kind of beauty and richness. On the other side, we will emerge transformed, lighter and brighter, braver and more confident for having moved through that darkness. www.Dailyom.com
The Whale… If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spiderweb of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso and a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same. May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude. I pass this on to you, my friends, in the same spirit.***
This article was forwarded to me by JC, isnt it beautiful?
My dad, H.R. Waggoner, retired after twenty five plus years in data management now lives in a small town in Rusk, Texas on many, many acres of property that he cares for. He works out regularly, eats healthy and grows a beautiful garden.
The picture taken was of us on the Oregon coast. What a happy day.
Recently he took the tests to get a commercial driving license so that he could drive a school bus. Super sweet. He studied and endured over four written tests, a physical exam, drug and driving test.
When I’m well into my retirement years, I hope and pray that my mental and physical stamina will be such that I’m motivated to keep moovin’ and groovin.
Here’s to my dad and his fantastic 74 years, may I be so lucky.
Today as I was parking my car on my way to coffee meeting I spotted one of my favorite people; a street vendor selling copies of Street Roots, a publication from a nonprofit organization that creates income for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
I could not wait to get over there and get my copy. As I approached the man with a bundle in his arms he turned and walked away. He was briskly two steps ahead of me so that he could go hold the door open.
I thanked him and we exchanged more than money for reading materials but people just being people.
For every paper Donovan sells for a dollar, he keeps seventy five cents, twenty five cents goes toward the cost of printing.
Thank you Donovan. You are another sweet reminder to keep it real.
With all kinda “pomp and circumstance” I share with you that Mary Gregoire is now the Chief Inspiration Officer of the Wild Women Society! How cool is that?
Mary Gregoire stepped in as our Chief Inspirational Officer and I will stay on as host and chair of the Society Committee.
Mary has been at every party. She is amazing and bright with a heart-led commitment to keep the Wild Women Society groovin’ in the same true spirit it was built on. This girl is dialed in and I can’t wait for Wild Women VI!…and the show will go on.
“Making the beginning is one-third of the work” ~ Irish Proverb ~
Happy Birthday, Dr. Martin Luther King. Happy Birthday! Of all of the selfless, heroic and astounding acts you chose on behalf of many, I specifically thank you for the following words.
“A individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of humanity.”
Beautiful.
Last week I was a guest on a show hosted by Francine Raften called “Tell Me About it” on the Earth2World Internet, network.
The week before the show I hoped, actually prayed that it had been cancelled. I even sent Francine a note telling how happy I would be a guest on the show another time. HA! All of that back peddling was futile.
Here’s a link to the show http://bit.ly/A0doGE I was so nervous…totally dying, and of course, in the end it was a hoot!
I remain thankful for this opportunity to conquer a fear and again witness first hand how this particular emotion is false evidence appearing real.
Bonni Goldberg approached me several weeks ago seeking my contribution to her “GoodBookery” project. If you have not heard about this concept, take a peek (here).
Bonni’s project is called “Take back prom”. YIKES! I immediately went to a place of fear thinking that it would be hypocritical for me to remotely offer any words of encouragement or suggestions on this subject. At the age of 17, I was a lost and had little sense of myself and the world I was desperately trying to understand and fit into—so, giving advice? Not so much!
But then, after much turmoil and spending an unhealthy amount of time being scared out of my mind, the thought struck me to write about what I believe would have helped me to know during that time of my life. Ah, now that I could write about.
What I shared, then, was not solely about prom—it’s more expansive than this one experience in a teens lifetime of experiences. Yep, I went there.
I finished my part and turned that baby in! Perhaps what I wrote is not a fit for the collective book? I dunno. I’m just so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to kick through my fears and spread my wings.
they
them
those
v.s.
WE
US
OURS
Which language do you use?
