Mindful Relationships

This week has just been full of inspiration.  Today I heard Brian Post speak.  I had read his books about parenting children who've been traumatized by abuse and neglect and thought they were excellent.  I have also read and heard those detractors who aren't as impressed so I decided to hear for myself.  I'm glad I did.  I certainly can't repeat all that he teaches about parenting in a post, but one thought I've had that he validated is the idea that we can't be effective parents, or any relationship partner, without self-regulation.  And then my thought expands to this achievement-oriented, bottom-line, end result, hectic-paced society that we live in and I can't help but ask - how can any of us maintain our own grounded space to truly participate in each moment with each other?  Truly how often do our minds wander during interactions about what else we need to do or be? I explore this concept often in my journaling and journaling workshops but would love to hear others' thoughts and practices.

Creativity Quotient

I love those days when the universe answers your questions, even if you didn't know you were asking!  Today I had a conversation with a friend about the intelligent people we were surrounded by which evolved into types of intelligence (book smart, EQ, mechanical etc.) and I stated that I wanted creative intelligence.  I find doodling, drawing and collage an integral part of my journaling but have never considered myself necessarily artistic.  And yet the right brain holds so much power in expression, emotion and healing - all the areas I focus on.  Once I got home I found in my in-box two very cool e-mails.  The first was about learning to doodle in an artful, meditative way and the other was a self-test about none other than creative intelligence - what fun!

Zentangle
left brain/right brain test

My Daily Dose of Gratitude - A Top Ten List

Today was a mundane Monday filled with rain, endless details that seemed to impact no one positively and the tickling beginnings of a sore throat.  Before I spiral into "blah", I thought I should take some time to capture the beauty of this mundane Monday:

10.  I woke up this morning as did my family.
 9.  My little one got ready with no tantrums and was waiting on the bus with ten minutes to spare.
 8.  I spoke to my oldest daughter (in college) who is safe and thriving.
 7.  I laughed with my husband
6.  My anniversary roses are in full bloom.
5.  It's not snowing.
 4.  I put RainX on my car yesterday!
 3.  My class through Story Circle Network was posted today and I have a student registered.
 2.  My 35 lb beagle mix thinks she's a lap dog and is climbing on me as I try to type.
1.  I received new books in the mail which is always exciting (thus, the side bar).

That was much easier and quicker than I thought, although perhaps not necessarily in the right order, and I could come up with a few more.  What's your Daily Ten?

Muse Link

I find it so interesting that in my last post I asked "who is your muse" (of course meaning anyone or thing in life, known or not known to you, fictional or real etc.) and I came across this website that has a muse quiz.  It was a bit cumbersome to get the results but I still had fun with it!

Treasured Gifts

I received this Valentine from a dear friend unexpectedly this week. What a beautiful gift on more than one level. First there’s the story behind the card. Her great-aunt never married but had received this Valentine one year and framed it. This framed treasure eventually made its way to my friend. This story touches me as family stories do of treasured gifts that are simple and yet represent so much.


My friend, Susan, then decided this year to create her own Valentine’s for loved ones out of this card. She created a gift with a picture of the card, added her own Valentine’s wishes and had it printed with an old newspaper clipping on the back outlining the history of this special day that goes beyond a “Hallmark” holiday. Susan added another layer to the fabric of her family story by sharing this blessing with others. She is a unique, creative and exquisite soul and she has once again inspired me.
Consider in your journal writing a treasured story and how that story has impacted you as well as how you have weaved another seam into the fabric of your family story.
Ask yourself this question - who is my muse?

Discombobulated

I've gotten into the habit of titling my days, weeks, months - for example, the title of this past weekend for me was "Kinship" and othertimes it might be a color, phrase or song.  Today, I'm feeling a bit scattered, discombobulated (is there spell check on blogspot?!)...so for the record, I've named today BOB.

Tribes

I just returned from an inspiring weekend participating at the Story Circle Network conference. I had been looking forward to a weekend of like-minded sisters but had not envisioned what that looked like. The sense of community, the spirit of validation and nurturing and the vibrant courageous women telling their stories was a memorable, awakening experience. The thread of finding your "tribe" was woven throughout.

Carve out a few minutes to write and reflect on what "tribe" means to you and who your tribe is. Consider if your tribe needs expanding and if so, what would that look like?