by Katherine on January 15, 2010
One of the books that I’m reading for a course right now is the Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Written during the 1800’s, the language is – well, lets just say it’s not what I’m used to reading in current language.
I find myself saying, “Wait a minute, what did he just say?” and re-reading the same paragraph or sentence. A lot.
But ah, there are the gems. Words that leap from the page and sink into my being. Phrases that have become part of our language today, which is just one indication of why his wisdom has endured for over 100 years. This particular quote was one of them.
I’m not a sailor but my cousin is and he explained to me what tacking is several years ago. When the wind is not in the right direction for a journey of a straight line, a sailor tacks – using the wind to zigzag back and forth to maintain the overall direction of the journey. Which is pretty much what life. We do zigzag, we do course correct constantly. I chose the quote as the basis for this week’s intention, which is more of an affirmation, because I want to celebrate the richness and diversity that ‘tacking’ brings to life.
I appreciate each course correction and zigzag in my life as part of my growth, and I celebrate my life journey of a hundred tacks.
by Katherine on January 8, 2010
Yesterday I spent the day planning some changes to two websites that have only been up for two months.
In making notes for my Virtual Assistant about what I wanted now, I had a quick grumble about having to make these changes so soon.
But these changes reflect something important. They are the result of getting clear on my branding message and having new designs done by Pamela Wilson of Zurek Design. Getting clear about my message was something I’d been trying to do for approximately two years.
After allowing myself ten seconds to grumble (there, that’s done!), I decided to look at the changes as a gift. As my thought is creative, even the changes of two months ago were part of the process of getting to where I am now. And who knows where I could be two months into the future?
Looking at change as a gift is the theme of this week’s Friday Intention.
Icelebrate change in my life as a gift. I am open to what it brings, and accept that it happens as a result of my own personal evolution.
by Katherine on November 27, 2009
Most people have heard the saying, “It’s the journey, not the destination.” I know it to be true on one level, and on another level I want to know everything about the final destination before I can confidently take the first step toward it.
Today’s intention is a reminder that I can trust in my big vision and keep taking one step at a time toward it even when I don’t know how it’s going to happen.
As I tune into my connection with something larger than myself, I trust that each step toward my big vision is revealed to me in perfect timing, that the perfect helpers will arrive to assist me, and that I can accomplish it with ease and joy.
by Katherine on July 21, 2009
Last week I didn’t do a blog post. I didn’t do much of anything because the simple truth was, I just didn’t feel like it.
A few blog posts ago I wrote a post about chaos and how we deal with the storms in our lives. But this wasn’t like a storm. More like a void. Not even the creative things I love to do appealed to me.
Even though I recognize this feeling as an old friend it’s hard to see the void as anything but negative. But last night my friend Marcia Breitenbach was in the right place to remind me of something I needed to be reminded of….again.
Those times when we are brought low are actually good times. Pushing ourselves is actually pushing against the flow of creative energy and it exhausts us. That’s when we start to ask the questions, “What’s wrong with me?” “Why can’t I focus?”
Note to self: there’s nothing wrong!
I offer these words of encouragement to anyone who is experiencing inactivity and blaming themselves for it. First know it for what it is – an opportunity. Secondly take some time and go for a walk or the spa or a movie….and go by yourself so you can BE with your SELF.
Last week after I stopped berating myself, I took the time to read some fluff, do some writing in my journal, try a new recipe, go to a movie and get some extra sleep!
This week I have my mojo back. Yippee!
by Katherine on July 2, 2009
“Ships are safe in the harbor but that’s not what ships are for.”
It’s not what a life is for either. A safe and precisely ordered life may seem like the ideal life: I used to think so when things went wrong. In the middle of chaos I longed for stability. I longed for the storm to be over so things could return to ‘normal’….whatever that was.
We may dislike chaos but it can lead to some important, necessary and vital change. Chaos may arrive in any form and the catalyst doesn’t really matter. What matters is our response. Is it good? Is it bad? Are we stuck in wanting to know why, why, WHY?
I’m oversimplifying, but I perceive my life as two periods; one in which I was in a trance, sleepwalking through life, and one in which I am awake and aware. While in my trance state, it was easy to point to others as the source of an upheaval, or even deny there was a problem. After the wake up call, I could see that even though things were challenging and painful, there was an underlying sense of rightness, and I felt faith that I was moving in the right direction.
Yes, there are many times when I’m confused and I want answers. I want someone to tell me what to do. I want someone to say, “There, there, it’s all going to be better soon.” So does that work for me? Not really.
With the knowledge that there’s something powerful about being in the midst of chaos, no one can shake my conviction when they offer a conflicting opinion about how to handle things. I can rely on my inner guidance. I no longer have to be responsible for anyone other than myself. What a relief!
As I learn to ride the waves of order and chaos, things that were emotional storms for me in the past are now just light breezes. I’m much more willing to risk storms that before would have annihilated me. What has shifted is the consciousness that all high winds are the ’storm before the calm’.
What has shifted is the belief that no matter how severe the storm, my ship is guided safely home.
by Katherine on June 3, 2009
Most of us don’t like the barren times when no ideas come, no inspiration seems worthy and no creative energy is flowing. I know whereof I speak….I just had a four week period where I didn’t sing one note. Not even one.
Everyone has these times and it can seem like the creative “sun” will never shine again. Everything is in shadow and we usually resist that place like crazy. We get busy, busy, busy, trying to hide from it.
But there is a true benefit to slowing down, staying still and allowing it. In that inner world of nothingness we can release another little layer of what may be blocking us. From the shadow, something is born. If it’s been dark for a while, when the little spark of light comes we might think it’s an illusion. “No, it’s still dark, I’m imagining it.”
But then it glows a little deeper, shines a wee bit brighter. Something is up.
Since I love metaphors, let’s use the caterpillar as an example. Called by something beyond our comprehension, the caterpillar wraps itself inside its cocoon and turns into DNA mush. It literally has to destroy itself before it can emerge again. And if the newly formed butterfly doesn’t struggle to come out of the cocoon, it never flies.
Being in shadow is not fun. However what if spending some time in the shadow leads to something amazing? What if it was really a blessing? Most of the time it is.
If next time it happens, we could step back and say “oh good, something great must be coming”, then we might actually get a rush of creativity like never before.
What do you think?
PS. I sang today!
by Katherine on March 17, 2009
Lots of people talk to themselves. Probably that’s how good ideas and solutions to problems occur. And I’m convinced that creative people do it all the time.
I know it can be a bit embarrassing if you’re caught in the act, but I say if you’re talking to yourself, at least you can be sure of an intelligent conversation!
Perhaps self talkers need to come out of the closet. So I’m going to tell you about a conversation I’ve been having with myself for the last week.
A: I don’t feel good right now.
Z: Life is wonderful. Yippee!
A: I’m feeling pretty anxious right now.
Z: I feel awesome.
On the one hand (I think it’s my left!) I agree with the power of positive thought. Yes, it just plain feels better to be able to say I feel fantastic.
On the other hand (that would be my right!) if the thoughts and words are not what we’re really feeling, what then? Isn’t that a form of lying? So what do we do? Let’s go back to A and Z.
You might be wondering why I didn’t call them A and B? Here’s why. And it has to do with what I concluded at the end of the conversation with my SELF.
It’s too big a leap to go from A to Z all at once. We want to feel better and at the same time we know we’re not being truthful to ourselves. And we have that niggling little feeling that there’s something wrong with us because we can’t make life wonderful right now.
But you know what? If we can’t get from from A to Z, it’s possible to go from A to B.
A: I don’t feel good right now.
B: Things are a little better than they were last week.
A: I’m feeling pretty anxious right now.
B: I had a great talk with a friend yesterday and it felt good to laugh together.
Eventually we get to Z.
A trip from B to C anyone?
One of the books that I’m reading for a course right now is the Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Written during the 1800’s, the language is – well, lets just say it’s not what I’m used to reading in current language. 