My Inspiration List

Not long ago I started developing a list of 101 things I'd like to have or experience in my life before I die. I've been reading Jack Canfield's book The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You are to Where You Want to Be.

At first, I thought, "No sweat. I've been thinking about what matters to me for ages." But as I wrote the numbers from 1 to 101 in my journal, I began to realize the magnitude of the task. As I continued to write entries-- in tangible language, with emotion and sense-specific words-- I recognized what a challenge of discovery this would be.

This choice I made to create "the" list started about a week ago. I am working backwards from 101. I'm currently at #71 even though I've written every single day. It may take longer than expected!

Still, I've already gathered valuable insights:

a) Each desire taps a very deep part of me. They are uniquely mine.

b) When I write down my desires, the specifics become clearer, details sharper.

c) Each goal written down is available, not just a fleeting thought. I've captured it!

c) Writing after I meditate/pray lets my soul and my inner spirit have their say.

AND IMPORTANTLY...

d) List-making REALLY brings out what inspires me and what matters most.

e) The further I go, the more I "bring to the surface" newer aspects of the still-developing me.

So, are you intrigued yet? If so, here are the basics (with due respect to Mr. Canfield. You can find more in his book and in his materials on The Success Principles website... He suggests writing just 90 items by the way.)

• Write down "30 things you want to do, 30 things you want to have, and 30 things you want to be before you die" (p. 28).
• Make each item tangible by your picturesque word choice or by adding photos, magazine pictures, drawings, artwork, etc...
• Add music or sounds or other things that stimulate your senses.
• Review your list often... Maybe list a time in your calendar to review it next?
• Rehearse it over and over again. Think about each item and experience it in your mind's eye and feel it in your heart.

I won't go into the psychology or the technical explanations about why this process works. Canfield explains that in plain language... so I encourage you to read his book.

Hopefully this idea inspires you! If that doesn't do it, set aside a couple hours to watch the movie The Bucket List. It's the Hollywood take on the same theme.

All the Best for Today and the Days/Months/Years Yet to Come... It's your choice how you want to live each day!

Orchids for Inspiration!

Think of an orchid. What comes to your mind?

I've always thought of orchids as inspiring and very special. They look fragile yet perfectly designed...with a kind of elegant refinement. For me, orchids have always been exotic, exquisite and classy... not your ordinary flower!

Orchids didn't grow in Western Pennsylvania where I grew up. Gardens there were filled with zinnias, daisies, and other easy-to-grow flowers. We only saw orchids in expensive corsages imported for Mother's Day.

The first orchid plants I ever saw up close were grown by a friend. She had multiple varieties and could recite all their botanical names! Her collection was stunning. She belonged to the local orchid society. I was inspired... Yet, I was also intimidated with the thought of trying to grow one-- let alone her ten or twelve!

My next exposure to live orchids was as a gift. I had gone to Trinidad, West Indies to teach and admired the orchids growing everywhere. Soon, my supervisor handed me an orchid bouquet and welcomed me to the island! I enjoyed that bouquet and the orchids outside my apartment. No wonder the orchids grew so well, I thought... Life here was slow and sweet. There was sun, warmth, and plenty of rain. All too soon, though, I had to leave... and that made me sad.

Years later, when I went on a trip to Hawaii, I saw more orchids. They were nothing short of magnificent. My attitude remained "look and enjoy but don't touch... and don't even begin to think about taking one home."

And yet, one day before we left to return to the mainland, I saw a collection of flower photographs offered at a reasonable price. My luggage soon contained professional quality photos of orchids and other tropical flowers. My surroundings would be filled with images of the tropics I love.

Apparently, I am not the only one inspired by orchids. Last week, I met Bill Strickland, the founder and chief energizer of the Manchester-Bidwell Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA. Bill believes you can Make the Impossible Possible. In my reading before the trip I learned that Bill, too, liked orchids. But, unlike me, he was determined

to grow them. He'd also decided that kids from the inner city with little hope for the future could be trained to grow orchids and to learn a marketable profession in the process!

While visiting, I saw that vision brought to life. The orchid sign "A Legacy of Inspiration" is found at the entrance to the greenhouses. For Strickland's kids, the orchids represent new possibilities, new promises of what the future can hold. After I got back home and saw that photo I started thinking...Perhaps the orchids could be a legacy of inspiration for me?

So this morning, I headed to a local nursery...The same one I've visited for inspiration when I miss the islands. This time though, I planned to bring one of the orchids home. How hard could it be to grow one anyway? My close friend in Raleigh had managed to move an orchid from state to state as her family moved. If she could do it why couldn't I?

Perhaps all along I had some misconceptions about orchids...The woman at the greenhouse, told me that orchids are easy-to-grow and don't take a lot of fuss as long as you know what they like (indirect light, not much water, and definitely no "wet feet"!) So, it was settled. I picked out a beautiful orchid and headed home.

Having that orchid sit in my sunroom gives me a certain satisfaction.

I recognize that my wrong assumptions about orchids- and other things?- are created by me. But I also realize that I can grow beyond what seemed impossible in the past. Now I have my own "Legacy of Inspiration", an orchid that lives right here in North Carolina with me!

Sunday Reflections

It's Sunday and I'm taking some time to reflect. Typically, Sunday has been a day to rest, reconnect with family and friends, attend a service, and well... just chill! (lol. It's not nearly as chilly in North Carolina as places that are now buried in two feet of snow... Alas, that brings back memories of my Pennsylvania youth and a few frosty winters in Wisconsin!)

Today though, my thoughts are focused mainly on spirituality and the sacred. I've been on a long, winding journey of discovery and learning, putting my spiritual beliefs together, taking them apart again, and acting on them as best I can. Looking back, it's easy to see that this journey has shaped my life and formed the person I really am.

I've gradually come to understand that a relationship and deep connection with God is far more important than a church or synagogue or mosque, more expansive than religion. Don't get me wrong, I continually read and try to learn about God and to live in ways that are consistent with what I "get" of the teachings of Jesus. Those relationships give me solid footing and I must return often. I've also found out that it's important to meet with others that seek to know more, so I attend religious services and participate within that spiritual "homebase." Our shared times can give us connections, renewal, different perspectives, rituals, common prayer, joyous experiences, and so much more. I don't want to underrate the power or necessity of that!

My life has also led me on spiritual quests of discovery and greater awareness. I've been blessed to see many sacred places... near and far. God often shows up in the beauty of a mountain waterfall, in a rainbow, in a field of flowers. Or in the eyes of a child or the smile of someone that cares. There are many ways to "know" when one seeks God.

But, I want more. My consistent wish is to relate and deeply connect to others, including those who have a rich spiritual history and passions different than mine. So, I "reach in to reach out"... and, increasingly, read books that challenge me to think, have more conversations with others/myself/God, ask more questions, and live more fully into what I am learning...into what God is showing me...

One of my most recent reads is The Faith Club, a book about three women- a Christian, a Muslim, and a Jew- and their journey to learn about different faiths and each other. It's a fascinating book and helped me fill in the pieces of my understanding. I needed that! The book also offers a tool for developing a local Faith Club. I'm still thinking on that one...

Similarly, I have been inspired by Mitch Albom's book Have a Little Faith. That book is about a man's search for meaning when he is given an unusual request: an elderly rabbi asks him to deliver his eulogy. This book also moves between faiths as the author weaves the storyline between Christian and Jewish faiths, African-American and white worlds, and impoverished and well-to-do lifestyles.

My hopes and prayers have been reinvigorated by this reading and my on-going search. My life and work has deepened. My teaching increasingly encourages students to step outside the classroom to make connections between "book learning" and "real life experiences", which tend to lead them/us into new possibilities... That's heady, life altering stuff. It's also very humbling...There is so much that can and must be done. The journey continues.

Alas, today's time for my reminiscing is over... It's time for other forms of renewal. It's Sunday after all and that's what I do. But, dear readers before you also move on, I encourage you to pause to look at my photo of a sacred space in France, Mont St. Michel. And, visit your own sacred spaces, if only in your mind's eye. Reflections are important, grounding, renewing... I'd like to encourage you to a little time today for that.

Let me end with a powerful prayer that blesses me even on the most hectic days! Hopefully, it will bring inspiration, love and light in your life, too...

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you,
May God give you grace never to sell yourself short,
Grace to risk something big for something good,
Grace to remember that the world is now too dangerous
for anything but truth; and too small for anything but love.
So, may God take your minds and think through them,
May God take your lips and speak through them,
May God take your hearts and set them on fire.
May God lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

A Cup of Tea, or 2, or 3!

Something as simple as preparing and drinking a cup of tea can be important!

Cultures all around the world seem to know this. The Japanese High Tea ceremony is filled with ritual and proper ways to prepare and share tea... Preparation can't be hurried... There are no shortcuts. Having a High Tea isn't just about drinking a liquid; it's about the whole experience- something very special.

Tea is also known for being important to the British. My friend, Kay, always gave detailed instructions as to the proper way to prepare tea. It was pretty complicated to get everything ready to serve tea and cookies. Kay seemed to be able to tell when it the kettle hadn't boiled OR when the cup and teapot weren't heated properly with scalding water before being filled with tea. And one had to use a fabric "tea cozy" to keep the whole brew steamy and ready to use. Of course, the cookies all needed to be beautifully, artfully arranged on a plate. Whew! It was a challenge to get all those details right, but I loved the drinking and cookie-eating part. :-)

My fascination with teas and tea drinking started very long ago. When I was a girl, tea drinking was a major family ritual. We often sat and drank tea together... And, if there was some kind of family emergency, the first thing that happened was that somebody put the kettle on! Once the tea was poured into cups, we'd all gather around the kitchen table to sort out the details, talk about the possibilities, and come to a group consensus about what to do. Somehow, the soothing conversation along with the mellow tea always made things better.

Interestingly, in 2006 a book was published called Three Cups of Tea...The theme concerned an important set of rituals surrounding tea in Pakistan and nearby lands. There, just like in Japan and Great Britain, there is a well-established protocol. (See http://www.threecupsoftea.com )

Despite my lifelong love of tea and my elaborate set of tea experiences, it wasn't until I read Three Cups of Tea that the aha! moment came. Three cups of tea was all about building relationships... connecting with others... recognizing and honoring one another.

Truth is, that's the same message I learned implicitly as a girl with my family meeting around the kitchen table. Tea drinking had an unwritten script (especially at tough times): "We're all in this together... and together we'll get through it."

So, it's no small wonder that, I love tea and all it symbolizes. I've always dreamed of having a huge teapot collection. Teapots can be pretty or exotic or just plain functional. Still, I haven't gotten all those teapots collected yet; mainly because I never could figure out where I'd keep them! But alas, at any hour, you will find at least a dozen different varieties of tea in my pantry. And family members seem to know that I will never object if they send me more! (For the last two Christmases, I've received gifts of tea and tea-related supplies.) I've got green teas, black teas, herbal teas, and an assortment of both the teabag and loose tea varieties. They all have a place of honor in my kitchen pantry... a whole shelf to themselves.

Tea is special... a way to soothe the soul and connect with others, even when one drinks solo because the memories of other tea-drinking times come seeping through. For me, tea is always a way to be inspired and renewed. There is never a bad time to drink tea choic. Indeed, I think I'll go put the kettle on and head to the pantry to see what variety appeals fits! Forgive me, Julia, but for me it's Bon Appe-tea!

Pirates and Treasure Maps

Hi All, There seems to be a "pirate" theme in my life right now... My students decided to use the college mascot, the pirate, as part of the title of the workshops their planning. But, I didn't know that the theme would continue and give me on-going inspirations. A friend laughing pointed out that I should think about wearing an eye patch and carry a parrot to the event. (Could be fun, though unusual.)

But expectedly, the latest theme element was added this morning: a treasure map! Earlier today, I continued reading the book Start Where You Are... written by Chris Gardner of the Pursuit of Happyness movie fame. He is writing about an experience with strategic planning where the planner required business executives to draw the line of their life to date with all the ups and downs they have experienced... not to think about it but just draw it. Hmmm. Got some resistence, but the planner was insistent, so they did it. And the results were a surprise to those present. "The point of this lesson," Gardner writes, " is that it gives you a fresh perspective of the past." Ok. Nice technique. Apparently very effective. Breakthrough method for Gardner and others.

But here's the clincher... He writes, "I view this line as a map to your treasure... it lets you see that there is a shape, direction, and purpose in the flow of your life- your story. Each moment in the line of your life is a lesson. Every loop, backslide, dip, elevation, peak, and plateau is reflected there in an event or a memory...(Some people may have relatively straight lines.) But for those of us who can proudly say that we're here, thanks to every pitfall and bump in the road, would we really want that? Without the gyrations and fluctuations, you're just flatlining- and that ain't living!" (pp. 99-100).

So, treasure maps it is. Think I may develop a new exercise to add to the "coaching materials" I'm using with my students... Let them draw their lifelines and map their treasure. Sounds like fun! Sounds like a new kind of inspiration to me!

Lost Amongst The Potatoes!

Sometimes inspirations don't come like lightning bolts or flashes of fireworks. Sometimes, actually often, they come into our awareness like a feather floating in unexpectedly.

It's that kind of inspiration that came into my life yesterday. It all started out with a coupon for a free (or almost free) roasted chicken. I stopped late morning at the store after church to get my chicken. The discount coupon coupled with the regular Sunday sale meant my chicken would cost a grand total of $.99 plus tax... Not a bad price for a meal, and I was anxious to use my coupon.

But alas, no chickens were available at the grocery. A run on roasted chickens I guess! Anyway, I wandered about the store, grabbed a bite of yummy, chewy sample bread... and left.

Several hours later, I realized I had lost my iphone. UhOh. The set-up to locate the phone using my laptop didn't work. Neither could I hear the phone ring when the number was called. This was quite disconcerting... and I felt the panic beginning to rise. But, reason prevailed (some weird form of reason.) My mother had taught me as a child to "retrace my steps", so I started in...The last time I had used the phone was on the way to the grocery, in the car, when I had called my son to see if we needed anything.

Hm... Detective thinking told me that the likely places for the phone were:- in the house, - in the car, - in the grocery. But inventive thinking found me asking questions like, "If I were an iphone where would I be?" Hmmm, I wondered, would I ever find the answer to that question?

Calm-headedness on the part of my friend and former roomie prevailed. We looked around the house. We looked in the car. Then we drove to the grocery. As I walked around the store, my friend asked the manager if a phone had been turned in... and so it was: the phone had been found amongst the potatoes. (My inventive imagination just wasn't that inventive!)

So, where's the inspiration in this mundane adventure? I was inspired by my friend's calmness in the middle of what could have felt like a crisis. I was inspired by my own ability to employ a new practice, to say aloud, "Peace. Be still." and to really give those words a chance to work.

I was inspired by the kindness of the unknown person who turned in the lost phone. And I was inspired at the lessons we can learn when we take things more lightly.

By the way, on this second trip to the grocery, there were new chickens to be had. We'll be having my $.99 chicken for dinner tonight. I think it may be an "inspired meal." lol

Simplicity and Clarity: Life Lessons from My Cat

In his last life my cat was- without a doubt- a yoga instructor. How else could he have mastered this art of body contortion?

My cat, mind you, can pose frozen in the most outrageous ways. Like a Zen master, he can sit curled up with his paws, including the back ones, under his chin- in such unlikely places as a kitchen cupboard! I guess he understands the value of isolation- of removing oneself from the busyness of the world... just to be... to become One with the Universe. He chooses wisely and spends his time on what matters!

He has also mastered the fine art of breathing. Kundalini himself could have instructed the cat in taking one inward breath and having it last for hours. That's what seems to happen, at least when the cat is in purr mode. Deep vibrations of breath transform him and carry him into a world of utter bliss. Prrrrrr. Prrrrrr. Prrrrrr. The rhythm of it is soothing to the soul.

Yet, should duty call, he can snap out of bliss in an instant... say to stomp on a bug that passes by! What alertness, though well disguised, this takes! Oh cat, what wonders you bring into my life! You know both the art of contortion and the methods for ultimate relaxation!

So what have I learned from the masterful one that pads around my house? Here are seven life lessons learned from my cat:

1) There is always time for relaxing.

It doesn't matter whether you face the sunshine of life or the darkness of a closet. Give in, breathe deeply. Just be.

2) Take time to savor the simple things.

Enjoy your food with gusto- savor every bite- put your whole being into Oneness with the contents of your dish. In that way you achieve true nourishment of body and soul.

3) Do your own thing without fanfare, with calm assuredness and grace.

It takes a cat to demonstrate how to share life with others, but silently go about one's own thing.

4) Love fully the one you are with.

Eyes of adoration from human lovers can't begin to match the glazed, fixed stares that my cat showers on me whenever he chooses. Love- pure and simple love- without condition. Emulate this.

5) The ultimate knowledge is held within.

The cat surely knows the secrets of the Universe, but has the inner strength, the fortitude, to keep those ideals to himself. What self control! What discipline!

6) When you walk, tread lightly on the earth, and hold your head high.

With each step my cat does a number that is part graceful dance, part stately march. The footwork is fantastic with all four paws in keen rhythm. He carries his head as if to support an invisible crown. He knows all that happens and yet he steps gently.

7) Approach each moment with simplicity so your spirit is renewed.

An uncluttered life allows for true living. An uncluttered mind reaches clarity quickest. Let go of all that clutters. Then inspiration can float in and answer your deepest questions.

Oh my cat, oh Zen master, how I strive to be like you. Teach me oh ancient one. Grant me, as I quietly contemplate your virtues the inclination to be more like you.

Ah cat! My cat! OM. OM. Meow! Meow!