December 29, 2009

dance by the light of the moon...

This time of year fascinates me because I love clean slates, new beginnings, new ideas, and I find the only resolutions that make sense are the ones that focus on the intention behind the wish. Did you know that the most common resolutions are "get a better job, quit smoking, lose weight" and most psychologists are quick to point out that those are just actions, and to be truly successful, we need to ask ourselves how our lives would be different if we achieved those goals? Pondering that question helps us understand what we really yearn for, and in so doing, propels us to summon the courage to BE THAT NOW, and then support it with new actions. It is quite the opposite of how most of us have learned to resolve to change, and undoubtedly it is what Ghandi meant when he said "BE the change you wish to see in the world". This power of intention is described in many of Dr. Dyer's writings, and there are websites like this one that discuss choosing just one word as your mantra for the year that will help you focus on what you want to BE; as opposed to what you hope to do.

Choosing just one word feels a bit limiting to me, so I have focused on jotting down a new list of ideas and themes that evolve about every four to six weeks. My intention is to stay open to and aware of little sparks of inspiration that come from everyday life. I often jot down a word here or there or take a photo to keep in a file; and try to be aware of the possibility of accepting and inviting in the new, rather than focusing on what is not working (for instance how different is it to focus on being healthy rather than dieting?). Sort of the same idea as "what you resist persists". This post suggests we avoid pushing, and instead allow ourselves to be pulled toward the future. I like that concept a lot. So... this month my focus has been on viewing "the old" from a new perspective and daring to see the ordinary with fresh eyes (click on photo above to see what I mean). I think words can be such powerful tools, so I wanted to share these ideas here in case you, too are contemplating ways to begin anew, or planning resolutions and creative goals.

And in the spirit of taking a new perspective, if you are looking for a new tradition this new year, why not celebrate like my friends from Wales? When the clock begins to strike twelve midnight, they open the back door of their home, then shut it to banish the negative energy and bad luck from the old year-and on the twelfth strike, they swing open the front door to welcome new energy and prosperity for the new year. I like that idea a lot because this year we will have the added enchantment of a new blue moon, so I am picturing a world where we all are gazing at the same beautiful moon as the earth spins new midnights, new hopes, new horizons, and new ways of looking at all of life's moments!

“We need a renaissance of wonder.
We need to renew, in our hearts and in our souls,
the deathless dream, the eternal poetry,
the perennial sense that life is miracle and magic.”...E. Merrill Root

December 26, 2009

A Kentucky Christmas

Okay, for those of you who don't know this already, George grew up in Kentucky and still has family here. In fact, I had this very conversation with an Italian gentleman in Como where George owns a villa. His exact words were "Mr. Clooney is a BIG DEAL in Italy." Bless his heart. I had to break the news to him that Mr. Clooney is a pretty big deal most everywhere...but I digress... so let's say that for some inexplicable reason, you are one of the four people on the planet who have not been emailed the above photo dozens of times already, (and even if you have)... in the spirit of giving, I thought I would share it yet again. After all, George would want it that way.
"I'm just white trash"...George Clooney
(really? is that where
"dreaming of a white Christmas" came from??? By the way, George's new movie "Up In the Air" is typical George--a dash of charm, humor and charisma with a ton of heart and soul-- a"must see"... Cheers!)

December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas

“What is Christmas?
It is tenderness for the past,
courage for the present,

hope for the future.
It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal,
and that every path may lead to peace.”
— Agnes M. Pharo

December 19, 2009

the festive David


Every time I think about what Michelangelo accomplished in his lifetime, I am filled with a sense of awe and wonder. When asked about his David sculpture, he explained "I saw an angel in the block of marble and I just chiseled 'til I set him free." I remember the first time I read those words- I was ten years old, and I just sat down in the floor and cried. I was, and will forever be moved by the certainty he must have felt in choosing THIS particular block of marble from the quarry, as well as the infinite possibility included in such a statement. I discovered awe and wonder right there in the art reference aisle of my public library. Wherever YOU are this week, may you discover the world through the eyes of a child, a place where all things are possible~a place where magic and wonder abide, and a place where angels are waiting to be discovered and freed~
"Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion"...Ralph Sockman

December 1, 2009

pink poetry

(8 x 8, oil on canvas)
"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you,
it will be enough"

...13th century German philosopher and theologian, Meister Eckhart