Soul Coaching, Day 19 : DYING TO LIVE

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I like fires--in fact I love sitting around a campfire and just staring into the flames. For over 20 years I had a daily intimate relationship with fire--since I heated my house with wood heat, and had to daily build a fire and also "feed the fire" all day. So--I find it really odd that the Soul Coaching FIRE WEEK is not resonating with me at all.....

And today's subject: Facing Your Death/Embracing Your Life made me realize how much unfinished business I have in my life....

Fire Week and Paper Cutting

FIRE WEEK : Day 17

Banishing the "shoulds" in my life---this was an interesting exercise: take the phrase I should.......
and change it to: I could...but I choose not to at this time.

This made me see in a new way that I was really choosing to not act on some of the "shoulds" in my life at this time...and that inaction is ok for now. For instance--- "I should pack my stuff to move" changed into : "I could pack my stuff to move, but I choose not to at this time." You might try this with the "shoulds" in your life--I found that doing this can be a real eye opener!

Artistically, this week I was inspired by this out-of-print book---which I picked up at a thrift store---

and I created my very first paper cut design--which I titled--"You were born with wings--why not fly?" I chose to use an exacto knife to cut the design out which worked well. The trick is to use a very sharp new blade --and change it often. For the colors, I used gouache piants and painted them on after cutting.


If you like the look of papercutting---there are some interesting blogs on the subject. I love the blog THE HEART OF PAPERCUTS by Elsa Mora---she is the most amazing papercut artist--and has many links to other papercut artists on her blog, also--plus links to tutorials, and supplies.

TODAYS' QUOTE: "You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?" --Rumi

Water Week : Day 14

"Who I am is enough, just as I am."

How many of us truly believe this--deep down inside? If we weren't all struggling with this concept---and how we feel about ourselves, would we be in this Soul Coaching online group?

Today is all about stepping out of the victim role---a good reminder for me. For many years now I have viewed myself as a survivor and thriver---and not a victim. However, the Day 14 exercises caused me to be aware of how I had subtly slipped into the "poor me--look at what he's done to me" victim role much of the time in the past 3 months.

Now that I see that--I can take steps to remove myself from that role, and return to being a thriver...all it takes is awareness and then re-framing my thinking.

Each tiny action cause ripples in the pond--spreading throughout my soul....

Today's Quote: "What is a soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room." ---Ray Charles

Water Week : Day 12

I am taking a class to learn this knitting technique with the 2 circular needles---the class is three nights, on thursday evenings---at KNIT ONE ONE--- a great place in Oakland that just teaches knitting, crocheting and spinning classes....


Today's quote: "Patience is a key element of success." ---Bill Gates

WATER week

WATER WEEK : I worked for over 20 years on the ocean on commercial fishing boats in Alaska; one does not spend that much time on the sea without developing a very healthy respect for the power of the oceans and water. I have been in storms at sea where the waves were towering over our 65 foot boat, and I feared for our survival. I learned to think of the ocean as a living being which we must treat with proper respect in order to survive our travels upon her. I have great concern and care for our Earth's oceans and the way we are currently mistreating them; for we "will not survive a dieing sea." For me, water week is all about my long relationship with salt water and the sea....

I like the concept of Soul Coaching : Day 9

Going to the Source of Meaning: " You cannot always choose the circumstances of your life, but you can choose the meaning that you give those events."

I have never thought about the various events in my life quite this way. For some reason, this notion made me think of this poem by one of my favorite poets--Mary Oliver.

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Today's Quote:
"Life is now in session. Are you present?" --B. Copeland

Soul Coaching: Turning Points in My Life

This week is WATER WEEK and I have always loved sitting on the back deck of a boat and watching the boat's wake.....

I wrote this list of TURNING POINTS in my life--then realized they were all about relationships....I left out moving from a tiny town of 120 in Alaska to a larger town of 50,000 In Washington State! which was a huge turning point....or my 3 week trip to Russia in 1985 with Alaskan Performing Artist's for Peace--a trip that changed my life...I'm puzzled why the only turning points I first thought of had to do only with the love relationships in my life?





I can't even begin to look at what I gained or discovered from each of these events in my life....this requires too much introspection for me right now. Perhaps I will be able to return to these points some time and do this....

Ah yes and SOUL COACHING : DAY 7
We were supposed to write our "soul mission statement" ---and answer the question of "Why am I here?" this took me awhile to see--but then I had an AHA! moment and knew this :

THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE IS TO SHARE MY CREATIVITY

whether I do this through teaching or having my designs printed on wallpaper or fabric, or by selling my artwork or giving it away doesn't matter....I just need to be creative and share the results or my skills freely....

Today's Quote : "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. " --Maya Angelou

Up Clutter/Down Clutter

Soul Coaching : Day Five
Energy Up/Energy Down

I do believe that too much clutter (and messiness--but let's not even go there) does "pull you down" and steals your energy. So, de-cluttering is good---but that does not explain why I am so stuck right now with doing this.

I have a huge resistance....to straightening up my room. Actually, my room is not really cluttered--just messy --- I pared down so much when I had to pack up everything I owned and move....that really--I do not have much here in my room that I would get rid of.

Here is one small area I de-cluttered---it is now an oasis of "up-clutter" (ie. an area that gives me energy because it is not cluttered) in my messy room.

and here is an example of "down clutter" (ie. clutter that pulls me down) Oh! I really hate this photo! The Virgo in me does hate clutter and messyness so....

So, I will commit to de-cluttering the space around my computer today. I hope you all have a good uncluttered day....and that fresh invigorating energy fills your life ;-)

Today's Quote: "Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there." ---Josh Billings

Big Changes & new knitting: "MITTS!"

Today I woke up so full of HOPE--for CHANGE--- and with the strong sense that we have taken our country back! Yes! and a sense now everything will get better. I like Patti Digh's post over at 37 Days blog---"He [Obama] will need our help. All of us, not just Democrats, not just African Americans, not just youth, but all of us. Hope cannot be bipartisan. Government cannot be theirs to run, it is ours to run. Let us continue our gestures of belief." That really sums it up for me.

Soul Coaching: Yes, by day 4 I am "noticing old stuff/ patterns/blockages coming to the surface" ---- my small room has gotten even messier--and I thought we were supposed to de-clutter! An old pattern for me is thus: I let my space get messier and messier until I just cannot stand it!--and then in one big swoop, I clean it all up. I am hoping to change this pattern to one where I clean & and organize a little each day, and I put things away more often.....

I sure like the notion of re-framing my tendancy to be blunt into "honest self-expression"---since sometimes my bluntness has caused trouble for me. I had a harder time transforming my other faults into positive traits--still working on that! and being an observer of myself has always been hard for me---don't know why, but I'm trying that today, also.

Meanwhile I have been knitting these MITTS---a shorter version of mittens--ie "fingerless mittens--I have one finished and the other one on the needles....these are knit with Noro Kureyon....lovely soft and cozy wool yarn. A nice small quick knitting project--guess what my family is getting for holiday gifts this year???




and the pattern is from this excellent book by Clara Parkes of the website Knitter's Review.
I have this book on my wish list...not only does she write eloquently about all types of yarns--but the patterns are wisely chosen to highlight the various yarns characteristics. So-- lovely projects, lovely photos--a must have for my knitting bookshelf.


Quote for the day : "What if you just knew everything was working out perfectly?"

Soul Coaching, Day 3 : De-Clutter !