One of the more important things that we at Dare To Dream proclaim is to vision for what is most important for you; to bring clarity to that which you want and need. Sometimes a client will come in with that understanding already, seeking help to implement that vision. A couple of months ago, a woman came to us with just such a direction. She was fired up because the passage of time was acutely felt. What became clear to us was that what she really needed (not just wanted) was a close and healing relationship with herself.

We met a few times, and then took a break, with the plan to connect and check in towards the end of February. We were not able to do that. Jaime Kuhle was tragically killed last Sunday while doing one of the things that she loved best: walking in nature.

There just happened to be a large Oak tree in her path. There just happened to have been a lot of rain in the preceding weeks. There just happened to be strong wind gusts that morning. There just happened to be a confluence of timing.

Her walk that morning was supposed to be a short one. When she didn’t return, her partner and 6 year old son went looking for her, and found her beneath a fallen Oak tree.  I found out about this in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat the following day (click here to see the article).

One of the messages that death can deliver for all of us is the sense of urgency. We never know when something will happen. We take things for granted, especially that there will be enough time to do what it is that’s important. Meanwhile, we’re too busy with what’s urgent to tend to what’s important.

One of the great blessings being a coach is to be invited in and witness our clients as they wrestle with this dilemma: how to tend to the important while managing the urgent. In many ways, this is the basis of what we do, especially when we can add a soulful or spiritual quality to that search.

As Heidi and I continue our life path of seeking what is important, not just what is urgent, we continually tussle with that dilemma. There are two particular things we do to manage it: first, we seek and get support, particularly with each other, but with others too; second, we utilize our spiritual practice to illuminate the inner light, revealing what our spirit, or soul is calling for.

Jaime Kuhle was practicing her life in a similar manner. She felt the urgency and was trying to do something about it. We all have troubles and events to heal from. We all of to meet the needs of living in society. And some of us are able to embark on another, deeper journey. Jaime’s message is to not wait for the perfect timing of that journey; to not wait until we think we’re ready; to not wait.

My hope is that Jaime is continuing that journey in the next life. My hope is that her life inspires others, including her son, to continue to seek out what is most important and to utilize all available tools. My hope is that you who are reading this embark on that same journey, even when you don’t know the outcome, even when you don’t know how you’re going to get there. My hope is that we all hold the spirit of hope with the sense of accomplishing what is important.

Blessings,
Jim

I wrote this poem several years ago and stumbled upon it the other day. It’s message captures the longing for self expression, the desire to be known. and the fulfillment that comes from sharing your gifts with the world. I can still feel the fire that fueled these words written late one night, and hope that reading it brings inspiration to you. Enjoy!

Blessings,
Heidi

I want to live before I die!
Heidi Noh-Kuhn

I want live before I die.

I want the world to have experienced me in all my eccentricities.

I want to embrace my life wholly and authentically, and allow the world to know me.

I want to leave my mark; I want an impression of me – who I am today, in this body, this mind, this personality, this soul to be known by others.

I want to give the world a chance to know me.

Whether I am accepted or rejected, I want to be known.

I want to live, to feel my own self fill the room.  I want to be seen.  I want to see myself.  I want to be able to say yes that’s me in the mirror of another’s eyes. 

I’m tired of always adjusting myself to other people’s standards, always evaluating myself by how someone else would approach the matter.

Before my time runs out in this life I want to know I lived.

I want to go to sleep at night knowing I was present in my day – that anyone who encountered me saw the real me.

I want to see my goodness, my wholeness, my beauty in everything I do.

I want to look in the mirror of my own eyes and see myself and respond with love and joy!

I want to embrace every moment as my own inner wisdom tells me to and trust the guidance that I receive even when others do not agree.

I want to risk being crazy.

I want to allow others to leave.

I want to stay and embrace myself and rest in my own love.

I want to open my heart to others and welcome them into my world.

I want to know my own terrain so well that I no longer need a map to find my way around.

I want to live within my world, I want to explore every aspect of my wonderful island and play every day in this magnificent life that I have been given.

No more hiding, no more waiting for others to understand, no more spending all my time in someone else’s world.

I don’t know how much time I have left in this life and I don’t want to waste a moment.

I need to live before I die.  I need to embrace every moment and move through the world in my own way.  I need to retreat when it feels right for me, and only invite those onto my island who respect the terrain.

I am a sensitive soul and I only want to spend time with those who are respectful of me.

Those who approach me with trumpets and clanging symbols trying to get my attention and get me to open the bridge to my soul only send me deeper inside.

I’m tried of living on other islands; I want to know my own.  I want to identify every species and rare indigenous plant.  I want to discover the hidden medicinal properties of the flowers within my soul.  Every rock is precious to me, every stick a reflection of the Divine.  I want to gather sea shells along my shore line and watch the tide come in and out.  I want to marvel at my world and drink in the majesty of life.

I don’t want to miss anything, it is all too precious to ignore.

I want to live before I die and leave knowing the world got to know me for who I really am.  I want to leave knowing I fully lived!

For the second time in last couple of years, our cat got skunked. This is such a bummer. Everything in the house smells like skunk, and it doesn’t go away by simply opening the window. 

If you’ve ever had a pet get skunked, you know that their fur can hold the smell for weeks and weeks. Fortunately, there is something that you can do for their fur, but it’s pretty stressful. We got this formula from the local vet, and it actually works. So, we wanted to share this with everyone, hoping that you never have to need it, but just in case… 

Start with a quart of hydrogen peroxide - this is the big brown bottle. Because I had to look it up, I’ll tell you that a quart is 32 oz.   Next, add 1/4 cup of baking soda - the brand doesn’t matter. Baking soda is different than baking powder, so be sure it’s the kind that usually comes in a box, not a small can, and many people use an open box in the fridge to help take smells out (now there’s a clue!).  Finally, add 1 teaspoon of Dawn detergent - the brand matters on this one, so don’t use the cheap grocery store brand. I’m guessing that since Dawn is known for tackling grease in the kitchen, that skunk spunk is greasy, and that’s why it’s so hard to get out of things. You’ve got a bucket full of the formula - now comes the fun part.

Since you’ll be dousing your pet with detergent, you want to protect their eyes by putting mineral oil on their eyes. Then give a good bath rub with the formula. We used rubber gloves to protect us: from getting skunk on our skin, from the detergent drying out our skin, and from our cat’s claws.  This is probably easier with two people, but I’ve never tried it by myself and hope to never have to. Dexter, our cat, was not too comfortable with this dousing, especially since you need to keep it on for five minutes.

The last part is the hardest for a cat, maybe not so hard for a dog: the rinse. Cats don’t like water too much. They try to run away. It doesn’t matter that they’re covered in sudsy stuff, with all of their fur sticking to their body so it looks like they just lost half their body weight. They want away from the running water. What we did was put him in the bathtub, then fill a bucket with water from the sink to rinse. He kept trying to crawl up the shower curtain, run up the wall … anything to get away. At least while he was getting doused, I think he knew that he was getting something that helped, and wasn’t too wet - at least not all at once. But a bucket of water…that was too much for him. 

We eventually got him rinsed enough, towel dryed him as much as we could, then let him bathe himself. I imagine a dog would probably need to be dryed by mom or dad a bit more thouroughly than a cat, but again, I’m just surmising.

I suppose that this formula would work on humans too. I hope to never have to find out. But if you do, let us know.

Blessings,
Heidi and Jim