Reflections From A Retreat
Here I am, again.
Reacquainted with my Self.
Time slows down,
Here.
Here, I am in need. . .
Of rest and connection.
It always seems easier,
Here.
Here I am, ready,
To let go of all plans.
To start anew,
Here.
Here, I am centred.
I am always here,
But I’m only now,
Remembering.
Remembering.
Just for today. . .
do. . .nothing
SEE your beauty
delight your senses
listen to your body
affirm your greatness
own your lusciousness
express your l o n g i n g s
choose SELF-ish over selfless
appreciate your surroundings
shine so bright people stop in awe
release old hurts, grudges and resentments
rest when you need. . .to-do list be damned
laugh – out loud and often – feel your belly shake
be in JOY
live out LOUD
expose your Self
stake your claim
forgive. . .for you
honour your needs
give up your reasons
speak softly, breathe deeply
nourish mind-body-spirit
LEAN into vulnerability
favour your strengths
express devotion
SING your tune
be who you BE
just for today. . .
just for today. . .
love with your WHOLE heart
They come out of nowhere and take you by surprise don’t they?
One did just that as I came across a wild garden at the side of a building. So many pretty flowers I thought.
These ones caught my eye; made my breath catch in my throat. They reminded me of my grandmother you see. My Nonna, the woman I was named after.
Santina. A name I wanted so badly to anglicize as a child. Now as an adult I keep it close to my heart and pull it out for special occasions.
Memories of…
Memories.
They sneak up and catch you off guard.
These ones – Hollyhocks – took me back to my childhood. I never knew what they were called, just that they grew at the side of Nonna’s house.
Today they wound their way around my heart.
Love.
Love.
It makes the world go round.
Sometimes I wonder, does it really?
I started looking. . .
Looking for love in all the right places you could say.
Love – rock solid like the concrete on which this graffiti was spray painted.
Love – days of smooth sailing along side days of stormy weather.
Love – fragile in its beauty, long-lasting when cared for.
Love – messy and uncontrolled.
Love – publicly displayed, vulnerable to the elements.
Right now…look around your world.
Sign. Art. Truth?
Whatever it is, it intrigued me enough to stop and take a photo.
I wondered at the meaning, what the artist thought when he/she came up with the idea.
I wondered what you’d come up with…
James Chartrand got my attention early on in my foray into social media. I was intrigued by her humour, wit and presence, whether on a Men With Pens blog post or in a 140 character tweet.
And yes, you read that right.
Her story is both shocking and inspiring, and like many who commented on this initial reveal, I was surprised that it’s still an issue in this century.
The tagline for this series is Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things, and James is a perfect example of what I mean by that.
She did what needed to be done – to raise a family, have a successful and fulfilling career, and thrive in a society that still takes issue with gender.
What’s uncommon is that she did it without fanfare. She simply did what it took.
The lesson in that IS extraordinary.
It’s easy to let circumstances stop you. At some point, you’ve probably thought, “It’s not the right time to…start a business, pursue your dream, commit to a relationship” etc.
Newsflash: It’s NEVER the right time. The circumstances and your reasons will always be there. That’s life. But you can choose to focus on what you want instead. Reasons or results. Choose.
That’s the part of James’ story that really inspires me. She had a lot of reasons – to play small, get a job and survive. But she didn’t. She took a bold, gauntlet-has-been-thrown stand for living life on her terms.
I’ve spent the past couple of months in the Life Lab (doesn’t life occur as an experiment a lot of the time?). I’ve been re-examining all aspects of my life and business, noticing my reactions, managing my emotions and asking myself a lot of questions.
It’s all about the questions (more on that later).
Do you know the 80/20 rule?
In the 19th century, an Italian economist and sociologist, Vilfredo Pareto, noticed that 80% of the wealth in Italy was held by 20% of the population. He then went on to demonstrate this to be true in other countries as well. Since Pareto’s time, this rule has been found to be true in virtually any area:
The only way to really see the 80/20 rule is to step back and look at the bigger picture, the larger perspective. When you first do this it’s mind blowing; there’s nothing quite like seeing things clearly. Seeing the forest rather than the trees!
If you don’t know what the big picture is, how can you make decisions that will lead you to your desired outcome?