Whether or not you welcome the holidays, the extra stress of this time can be crazy-making, indeed tailor-made to defocus us with deadlines, entertaining, shopping, traffic . . . need I say more?  It need not be that way though, if we remember to check in with ourselves, focus, and be present for the gifts of the moment as they come our way. Although this is easier said than done, there are several sanity-preserving tools that can easily be employed, no matter where you are.

The other day I found myself stuck in stop-and-go traffic on the highway.  Suddenly I noticed that I had so much anxiety that I was gripping the steering wheel for all that it was worth.  I felt that I just had to be ready to jump into a faster lane, or avoid an accident, at any moment.  I was so focused on what might happen, I lost touch with being in “the now.”

My poor sympathetic nervous system was actually so taxed, I was holding my muscles tight enough to create pain.  Not only that, I also actually was unaware of the beauty that was happening directly in front, behind, and to the sides of me, even on the highway.

Fortunately, I caught myself and remembered that I did not have to live in that state of hyper-focus.  I used Hook-ups™, one of the BrainGym™ tools that I teach, to escape the fight-or-flight state of being. I relaxed into an acceptance of knowing that eventually we would start moving again and, in the meantime, it wouldn’t do any good to be anxious or angry about a situation over which I had no control.

My nervous system relaxed, I loosened my grip and settled in to the present moment.  This allowed me to avoid the backlash of creating soreness and pain in my muscles later on, and gave me the chance to look around at the scenery that I often take no notice of.

I noticed beautiful vineyards that were vibrantly changing colors, Canadian geese traversing the sky overhead, and a spectacular sunset in the making. Now that is what I call the gifts of the season!  And they were free!

Tip of the Month:

To soothe anxiety, try doing Hook-ups™.  There are two parts to this simple technique:

1) Cross your ankles and cross arms in front of your chest, so that each hand is touching the opposite shoulder lightly.  No brownie points for doing this as hard as you can.  Hold these acupressure points as you touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth, close your eyes, and breathe deeply.

2) Place your feet flat on the floor, really connecting with the sensation of the soles in your shoes.  Place your fingertips gently together as if you were holding an invisible ball. Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Now hold these points and breathe deeply.

The process of Hook-ups™ actually uses both parts, sequentially. Depending on your situation, you may choose to do one or both. If you are stuck in the midst of traffic, as I was, you can just do part two.

Hold the points until you feel the breath ease and your anxiety calm down. The sympathetic nervous system will relax, allowing you to have a different experience with whatever is truly happening in the moment.

Stay tuned for upcoming tips and tools that can profoundly change the experience of being present in the beautiful world that we live in, even when dealing with chaos.

Wishing you the best the season has to offer,

Key Points:

• Have fun! Gift Wrapping is a wonderful way to express your creativity.
• Set the mood with music - relaxing or upbeat, meditative or playful.
• Spreading the materials out can inspire you and get the creative juices flowing.

Tips:

• Match paper and ribbon.  Look For subtle background colors on the paper that can be high lighted by using the same color ribbon.
• Consider using contrasting colors that look good to your eye.
• Pay attention to inside - once the package is open - how will it look inside?
• Matching the color of tissue to the gift-wrap can highlight the gift inside.  Even a simple gift that is beautifully wrapped feels like a treasure.
• When wrapping a box (or anything with sharp edges) it is a good idea to wrap the box with tissue first.  This will protect the wrapping paper from tearing and you can use the tissue to continue a theme.  For example, angel tissue paper with angel wrapping paper.  Or, colored tissue that brings out a color used with the wrapping paper.
• When using metallic paper, consider hiding the tape by rolling it and making it double sided (or used double sided tape).  Satin finish tape is best.
• Mix your media.  For example, if wrapping several gifts for a household, consider wrapping some in tissue or using gift bags or tins to add variety.
• Sticking with a color or texture theme can also be very attractive, i.e., jewel toned metallic paper with elegant ribbon in several shades looks beautiful resting together under a tree.

Money Saving Ideas:

• Use the Christmas or Holiday decorated paper and gift bags from the department stores for wrapping paper. Often department stores and other shops have decorated bags to put your packages in.  Some are very nice and can be great for wrapping gifts.
• If the store offers complimentary gift-wrap ask for the paper and ribbon and tissue so that you can wrap it creatively at home.  You can do this even if the item you purchased is not something you intend to wrap.  You may choose to use the materials for something else.  As a customer you are entitled to the service and it is your choice how you want to use it.
• There are many playful ways to wrap gifts that are unusual and fun to receive.  People enjoy gifts that have been creatively wrapped, e.g., a brown paper bag turned inside out; textured ribbon; colored with crayons…
• Eco choices: pine branches; dried flowers and berries, raffia ribbon, recycled materials…
• Save beautiful ribbon and special paper from gifts you have received, white tissue that comes with clothing, etc.  Gently crumpled white tissue can become attractive filler for a deep box, especially when combined with shredded paper filler or other colored paper.
• Add some pizazz to shredded paper by adding some curled ribbon.
• Purchase holiday materials on sale.  Elegant ribbon, tissue, and paper are often reasonably priced after the holidays are over.  Limit yourself to a few nice items that won’t take up a lot of room.

Happy Holidays, and Blessings to all

Here is the flyer for John Muir Story telling as part of Free Lecture Series sponsored by Dare To Dream and Devi Yoga Center:

john_muir_pres-nov-20091

Hello Great Souls,

We are excited to announce that Dare To Dream is joining forces with the Devi Yoga Center to offer a free monthly workshop/lecture series. The intention of this collaboration is to provide a forum for the many talents and skills of various experts in the fields of finance, health & wellness, nutrition, self-empowerment, reconnection, yoga, awareness and more…, to our community.

These gatherings will take place at Dare To Dream and Devi Yoga Center (including the courtyard that they share) at 7151 Wilton Ave.  These evenings will be a fun social gathering, meeting each other, sharing light refreshments, and learning something new!

We invite you to come to our first offering on Friday, June 5th at 6:00 pm, for a presentation by Angie M. Grainger, CPA/PFS, CFP®, on PEACE WITH MONEY:   “RETHINK, Rebound, and … Retire!”

To Reserve a spot for this free lecture, contact Kashi of the Devi Yoga Center at (707) 318-6538.

Look for future free events here, on the Events page here, or if you want to be notified even sooner and more personally, you can contact us to get on our Email Distribution list at info@daretodreamvisioning.com.

Blessings,
Heidi and Jim

Hello Great Souls,

As you may have heard, Heidi and I have been in the middle of moving. For the past six years we were in a ranch style house just outside of Sebastopol. It looked out onto a meadow with tall grass, was secluded, and had lots of wildlife (deer, raccoons, turkey’s, skunk, foxes, Bobcats, and a neighbor saw a Mountain Lion not too long ago). The whole place provided us with a haven to rest after being with coaching clients and generally being public. We started the downsizing efforts about seven years ago when we reinvented our life, and we had always intended on continuing that once we moved to Sebastopol. But it never happened.

In hindsight, what we realize now is that there was an energy clog for us in that living situation. The house was good, the property owner was good… everything except a “stuck-ness”.  It took awhile for us to recognize that it was something about how we were living - maybe even some energetic thing with the house. The bottom line is that the only thing we could do to change it was to put out a lot of energy… and to move. So we did.

One of the base philosophy’s that we h0ld in our Coaching practice is that the answers lie within you - not within us to tell you about them. Of course, when the table is flipped, the answers lie within us, as it relates to our own life. That’s what we got to over the winter and early spring: the answer was to move. As soon as we made that decision, it felt right in the deepest way. And that’s another test that we practice and preach: once the answer that is within you is revealed, it resounds - loudly.

Still another base philosophy we hold in Coaching is that there is wisdom within any resistance or aversion.  When a client has been resisting something, for however long or short a period of time, we nudge them to “go there”, and help explore what the benefit was in that resistance. The intention of this is to be able to move forward without that resistance. That’s what coaching is all about - forward movement. We’re not exploring the past just to be able to diagnose it, just to be able to heal a wound - that’s more relevant for a Therapist. But sometimes in Coaching, there’s an area where some healing opportunity presents itself. Specifically, when a client can no longer tolerate the resistance, we often are called. We have a great communication tool to help in this process, The Guidelines for Soulful Communication.

Again, that same base philosophy holds for ourselves as well. It was easy to stay where we were living; it was easy to ignore the resistance to do the work we wanted to do; it was easy to turn away and not look at what was actually calling for attention. Until we could no longer avoid it. So, we engaged, and energized.

That meant that we have been putting out a tremendous amount of energy these past many weeks getting the move done. We’re now done and settling into the new living situation (more on that later…).  The point to that is that sometimes all of us need to pour out the energy. That doesn’t mean 24/7. That doesn’t mean that it has to hurt, physically or emotionally (it’s OK if it does, especially when there’s someone nearby to help sooth the hurt). Often times, for me, pouring out the energy was to push myself to do one more thing, pack one more box, even when my mind and body wanted to rest. Other times, for me, it meant giving myself “permission” to feel however it was that I was feeling: excited about the change, sad about leaving, trepidation about the new and unknown, etc.

My hope is that you are open to looking at whatever you are resisting, and to not be afraid of it. We all need help and support when facing those challenges, and there is help out there in many forms, including talking to a coach. My coach just happens to be married to me, and we’ll keep looking for our own resistances, and will keep pouring out energy to meet them.

Blessings

Hello Great Souls,

Heidi and I have not been as diligent lately with our postings. The reason for this is that we are in the midst of moving our household.  Dare To Dream is staying put and going strong. But over the winter, we realized that our current home situation needed some attention. So, after six years in the same house, we are packing up and moving out.

When we started our Great Adventure eight years ago, one of the early ideas was to travel around the country in an RV and do our thing that way. Well, we’ve returned to that plan. While the contents and furniture are being put into storage (most of it anyhow), we’re “moving” into an RV. We’ll have a base here in Sebastopol, and be able to travel around whenever and wherever we wish to. Vacations have always been hard - to afford the time and expense. Now, that should be much easier, even if it’s just for a night at the ocean (Bodega Bay has several places…).

So, there will be more news soon. In the meantime, we’re working out our back muscles to lift boxes, and straining our brains to fit the puzzle pieces of our life into a storage unit. The hardest part is yet to come: transitioning our cat Dexter to a new home.

Blessings

The other day I was checking out of the Grocery store, when another patron came in behind me and started a conversation with the cashier. They obviously knew each other beyond the confines of dry goods and produce. I wasn’t really paying attention to their public-yet-private conversation.

Then, the man behind me mentioned that his sister recently won the lottery. That got my attention. How many people have you met who have won the lottery?  This was something compelling, something to wonder at.

He then went on to explain that his sister was one of 15 people up near Lake Shasta who had grouped their funds and were splitting what was announced as a $76 million jackpot in the California Super LOTTO. Each of the 15 had decided to take their winnings in a lump sum payment of $2.1 million. Furthermore, 13 of the 15 were going to stay in their jobs, and the two who were going to leave were apparently nearing retirement anyhow.

Think about that: 13 of 15, who live in a small town, are going to keep their jobs after winning millions of dollars; education jobs; jobs that typically don’t pay very much.

I don’t know what the percentage of lottery winners who keep their jobs is, but I would bet everything in my bank account (it’s not that much) that the percentage is WAY lower than 13 out of 15.  So what is it about this group? Why are they staying? Is it a shared commitment that came with the agreement if they won? Is it something in the water?

Then I started thinking about it; in particular, I thought about it in terms of how we coach Right Livelihood, which is how we express ourselves in the world, usually through our jobs, but it’s not limited to that. Specifically, what we hold is that you will be most satisfied with you job if you are able to experience and find expression for your core values on a regular basis. If not, you won’t.

A good indication of whether you are in a job where your values are regularly expressed is whether you would keep your job if you won the lottery: if money were no object, would you still do whatever it is that you do?  For those 13, apparently they would.

That then means that they are expressing personal values, probably every day. How is it that so many came together who are so satisfied with their job?  Perhaps there is a common trait where they recognize the satisfaction in each other, and became friends because of that satisfaction and authenticity of expression. Only after coming together did they decide to buy a lottery ticket.

Another possibility is one that I would like to hold: that educators in general are so unsupported by government and the society in general that they almost HAVE to have a reason for doing those jobs beyond the salary. Perhaps people who know that they are born to serve, to serve children in particular, and who value learning, also know that they will not be happy and satisfied unless they are in a career where they can manifest those qualities. Furthermore, perhaps those people know themselves so well and are so comfortable in their own skin that nothing else matters.

I applaud all educators. I give a standing ovation for any educator who sticks with it for more than five years. I scream and shout for those who have done that in California public schools and inner cities in particular.

As it turns out, we would keep our job if we won the lottery. Heidi and I know that serving others is what we were meant to do, and coaching through Dare To Dream is a great manifestation of that. My hope is that everyone who comes to us for coaching with their Right Livelihood realizes that in their life too: to know their personal values, and to express them on a daily basis in their jobs and careers. My hope is that 13 brave and lucky souls inspire you to live your authentic life too.

Blessings

I received startling news that one of my dearest friends passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago and I have been coming to terms with this change in my world - doing my best to integrate this new chapter into our ongoing friendship.

I know in the depth of my soul that our friendship is not over, experience has shown me that physical death does not end the connection of love between two hearts.  Love is eternal, no amount of physical distance alters its power to endure.  Jackie told me this on many occasions and I can feel the truth of it as I think of her today.

I met Jackie when I was in my early twenties and she her early fifties.  We were an odd yet perfect pair, both  passionate about personal growth and transformation and deeply curious about the spiritual dimensions of life.  She was loud and vivacious, quick to tell you what she thinks, up for a challenge -ready to take on any form of injustice, and profoundly curious about life and people.  I liked her instantly.

Jackie had studied the world religions and lived from a deep metaphysical perspective.  She was a gifted artist and consummate student of life.

We spent hours discussing life, pondering spiritual truths, listening to tapes, reading books, sharing new insights and laughed often about our imperfections and how hard it was at times to live up to our high ideals.

Both of us enjoyed going for long drives, especially to the coast, and we took many day trips exploring the beautiful landscape of northern California.  On one such occasion we encountered an angel.  It was a profound experience that even many years later still fills me with wonder and awe.

We had spent the morning picnicking and bike riding through Samuel P. Taylor Park.  For those who aren’t familiar with the park, it is a majestic redwood forest filled with rivers, waterfalls and lush aromatic plant life.  I highly recommend visiting the park - even a short drive through the interior will give you a sense of the power of the place.  On the day that we were there, before leaving, we found a spot by the river where sunlight was streaming through the tall trees and laid for a while in deep silence.  Each of us inwardly reflecting on the perfection of life.

When we got up to leave we remained quiet, the stillness we had fallen into enfolded us like a blanket as we made our way back to the truck.  Jackie suggested we head out to the coast and drive along the ocean on our way home and I smiled and nodded yes.

We drove along the winding road of highway one, admiring the spectacular views of the coast to our right, and the soaring hills to our left.  The afternoon sun was warm and bright, a stark contrast to the morning we had spent in the cool dark forest, and we felt invigorated by the change in scenery as gusts of salty ocean air flowed in through our open windows.  I sat with my knees bent up to my chest and my bare feet on the dashboard of the truck. Bathed in sunlight I drank in the deep blue colors of the sea and sky and gave thanks silently for the opportunity to experience such a perfectly joyful day.

Then suddenly a car came barreling around a blind corner and was positioned to hit us head on.  I don’t know how fast we were going but the man driving the other car seemed to be going at least 50 or 60 miles an hour.  I could see that it was a man driving because he was directly in front of us.  His long Chrysler sedan was facing us head on and he was right in front of me.  He was bent over picking something up on the seat next to him when he looked up and saw us and our eyes met.

I saw him turn the wheel but I knew it was too late for it to make a difference when somehow his car moved over and flew past us.  The car did not turn, it slid sideways and was within an inch of touching us as it sped by.  Jackie and I had not spoken a word.  We had been driving in silence for some time and when this scene unfolded before us we remained quiet and still.  It took us a moment or two before we began speaking.  I broke the silence by saying “that car almost hit us” and she nodded ”uh huh”.  I turned to look behind us and could see the car was almost out of sight driving now on his side of the lane.  When I turned back Jackie joked that the driver may have just peed his pants.

We sat for a while in silence and then bit by bit began speaking more about what happened.  Jackie said when she saw the car she knew there was nothing she could do to get out of his way.  To the left was a hillside and to the right were the steep cliffs that dropped off into the ocean.  Even if she tried to get into his lane there would not have been time for him to pass us.  I nodded my head and agreed.  I told her what I saw, and said it was clear to me that there was no way around a collision, and I knew that meant we were all going to die from the impact.  Jackie agreed.

After a bit I commented that it was strange that even though I knew this I felt completely at peace about it and Jackie said she did too.  I looked at her and said, “I didn’t even stir”.  I began to realize with amazement how unusual this was and both of us began to discuss it.  It wasn’t as though I was out of my body watching it happen, I felt totally present to the experience.  I saw the car fly around the corner, observed that it was directly in front of us, realized the driver was not looking ahead but grabbing something off the seat, saw him look up and with a startled look in his eyes he cranked the wheel, I knew it was too late, accepted that we would die, and then I watched as the car slid sideways and miss us by less than an inch as it flew by.

I looked at Jackie and asked “how did that car do that?” and she said “I don’t know”.  I puzzled for a moment and then said out loud “it slid sideways to miss us” and Jackie said “yep”.  And then I added ”car’s don’t slide sideways” and she said “I know”.  I pondered in silence for a moment more and then asked if she thought an angel have moved the car and she said “yes I do”.

It made so much sense, in the way only something supernatural can, when everything you know to be possible in the physical world has just been turned upside down.

We began to dissect what happened - each of us retelling our experience - as if to understand and acknowledge the facts as we knew them - and both of us saw and experienced the same thing.  The other car was speeding around the blind corner and was all the way over in our side of the lane, the driver was a man with one hand on the wheel as he looked for something on the seat next to him, just before impact he looked up, showed visible signs of shock, sharply turned the car wheel, the whole car slid sideways into his lane, and brushed past us closer than seemed possible without touching.

It was a miracle - everything about the experience internally and externally was miraculous.

Soon we began to wonder why it happened?  Why had we been saved?  Why had we been given this miraculous experience?  Perhaps it was given to the man and we just happened to be there to witness it?  Clearly all three of us had been given a great gift.

We returned to our earlier conversations of the day when we had been talking about God and prayer and what it means to live a spiritually based life.  We had spent the morning reflecting upon the Divine handiwork abundant in the beauty of the natural world and talked about how connecting with nature makes facing the challenges of life easier to bare.  We were uplifted and inspired, elevated in our thoughts and hopeful about our journey.

As we thought back on the day we wondered if our conversations about the Divine and our desire to live a spiritual life had drawn our angels closer.  It was possible but we couldn’t really say or know why we had been graced with this miracle.  What did seem clear to us however was that our consciousness that day allowed us to experience our angel encounter wholeheartedly.  Had we yelled and screamed and gotten caught up in the crisis of the event we likely would have created so much chaos between us that the miracle of our survival would have been overshadowed by the drama that swirled around us.

It gave us pause to realize this and served as a powerful life lesson.  A lesson we reminded each other of from time to time when the circumstances in our personal lives felt daunting to face:

Even when things seem impossible to overcome, if you can stay present to what is and remain open to possibilities, resources can appear you never dreamed of and the obstacles that block your path in this moment can be cleared away with grace and ease.

When Jackie’s son Jay called to tell me she had passed away we talked for awhile and did our best to console each other.  Jay is my age and I have always felt a special kinship with him through his mom.  She loved him (and all her family) deeply.  He asked me if I remembered when his mom and I experienced the angel? I told him yes, that although it has been over twenty years since that day I remember it as clearly today as I did when it happened.  I also said that I remembered how when we got home that day he and his partner Joe were there and we excitedly told them all about it.  He said he did too.  Jay said over the years he and his mom would talk about that day and she would recount the many adventures she and I took together.

I hadn’t seen Jackie in person for many years; the circumstances of our lives made it challenging to get together, but each time we talked on the phone (about once a year) she reminded me that no amount of physical distance would ever diminish the strong loving bond of our friendship.  I agreed and often cried when she told me that.  It  brings tears to my eyes today as I hear her in the back of my mind telling me again today.

My dear friend has gone on to another realm and I am missing her even though she still feels close in my heart.  I give thanks for her angelic presence in my life and the many gifts she brought to our world.

I’d like to leave you with a quote of hers I wrote down several years ago when we were talking on the phone:

“You being exactly who you are in this moment is the gift you have to give to this world, and it is enough”.

I have kept this quote on my desk, and made copies of it recently for a Women’s retreat I helped plan and co-facilitate last fall.  I read it back to Jackie the last time we spoke on the phone and told her how powerful it has been for me to reflect on, and she cried.

Her words of wisdom and loving friendship have given me the courage to stay faithful to myself and trust my journey even when I’m not doing as much as I think I should to contribute positively to our world.

I hope hearing about Jackie and our encounter with the angel inspires you dear reader to see your beauty and trust your journey, and stay open to miracles that come your way.

Blessings, Heidi

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!