Category — 8things
The Art of Noticing: Going with the Flow
The Art of Noticing is about practicing presence in accessible, everyday ways. It decreases resistance, increases gratitude, and opens your eyes to what Mary Oliver calls your “one wild, precious life.” Learn to notice in The Art of Noticing, a 30 day practice group beginning May 1st. Click here to join me.
The Art of Noticing: Going with the Flow
Last week I was whining. Our house had been broken into and most of our electronics had been stolen. The kids needed help processing the trauma. My laptop was gone with two non-backed-up articles that were due that week. Every time I tried to do something on my borrowed computer I realized I first had to download a program, or grab an image off my website, or re-write something I’d lost. Even the small things — like that fact that the back door was boarded up so we couldn’t easily let the dog out to pee — were making me crazy.
I knew it was going to be a tough week, and I was ready to go with the flow. My mantra was “Practice Non-Resistance.” I said it A LOT. But I was still very strained. I was trying to go with the flow, but the river was so damn rough it kept bashing me against the rocks, and then I would start flailing. The feeling was very familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then suddenly while I was walking up the stairs one day, I remembered.
This is what it feels like to have toddlers.
When you have toddlers every task becomes a challenge. All you want to do is get in the car. But first there are fits about not wanting to wear shoes. And then someone has to go potty. And then you forgot to pack the goldfish crackers — and lord knows you do NOT want to be caught in the pediatrician’s waiting room with two children under 4 and no goldfish crackers. A task that should take a few seconds ends up taking 20 minutes. It’s maddening.
When I had toddlers I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t really notice anything. So this time, when that familiar feeling arose I decided to pay attention. To take notice. What does it feel like when I am resisting my reality? And what have I noticed helps with that?
I didn’t have enough resources on this list last week. I struggled. I need more equipment in my non-resistance tool box. So I’m asking you to make your list with me this week so we can help each other out.
*8Things: Noticing Resistance (and what to do about it.)
1. When I am resisting my reality, my breathing becomes fast and shallow.
2. When I am resisting, I drop the f-bomb a lot.
3. When I am resisting my my throat gets tight.
4. When I am resisting I waste a lot of time complaining in my head.
(Now that what to do about it part…)
5. When I am practicing non-resistance I take full, even breaths.
6. When I am practicing non-resistance I say to myself, “It’s okay,” or “This too shall pass.”
7. When I am practicing non-resistance I swallow to relax my throat.
8. When I am practicing non-resistance I take action on the task at hand.
What about you? What are the tell-tale signs that you are resisting the reality of your “now”? And what have you noticed helps you practice non-resistance? Give us your *8Things list and contribute to the giant pool of wisdom that keeps us all afloat. Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink(not your homepage address) in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing!
The Art of Noticing: Excess
The Art of Noticing series is about practicing presence in accessible, everyday ways. Tired of feeling like life is just whipping past you? Want to feel what you are feeling now, rather than having it sneak up on you later? Eager to find the sacred in your everyday? Join my mailing list to get info on The Art of Noticing: A Practice Group starting May 1st. Thank you for being here!
The Art of Noticing: Excess
It’ s Lent and most of my friends are giving something up. Sugar. Bread. Television.
Many a year I too have given things up for Lent. Yet I have to admit, even when I was a traditional pastor, I never really got the connection between forgoing Snickers for 40 days, and the suffering of a man who was crucified. I know it’s a lot more complicated than that, both in theology and practice. I know that theoretically the practice of fasting during Lent can connect us to our mortality, help us see the need for forgiveness, and make us more aware of the suffering of others. But for me, well, it always just felt like “New Year’s Resolutions: Round Two.”
This year as a part of my post-Christian reality I’m finding a spirituality that fits– even around Lent. As a part of that journey, I’ve been thinking a lot about Excess. Here in America, even when we are in lean times there is still Excess. Excess worry. Excess entertainment, drinking, and junk food to numb the worry. Excess outrage at the power-that-be. The modus operandi for our consumerist culture is ”MORE”. So much so that even in times of crisis, we find ways to over-indulge
So for Lent, I thought I would spend some time noticing the Excess in my own life. Then I thought I’d ask God-and-the-Universe to show me how I might both release the Excess and transform it into Abundance for someone else during this giving season. It’s an experiment. I want to get curious, don’t you? So here it goes–my list of *8Things that I have too much of in my life.
*8Things: Excess
1. Televisions/Movies: I don’t have a TV, but damned if I don’t consume a lot of movies and shows on Hulu and Netflix.
2. Email. Not sure what to do about that one.
3. Sugar. I’m not supposed to eat it, and yet is is always in my house.
4. Sleep. I could really stand to be a bit more of an early riser.
5. Negative Self Talk. Wow. There would be so much more productivity in a day if I didn’t spend this much time with my Gremlins.
6. Debating About What’s The Most Important Thing to Do Next. (See number 5.)
7. Diet Coke. I quit it like most people quit smoking. It’s snuck back in.
8. Toiletries. Why do I keep buying lotions and potions?!?!
Hmmm. It was harder to come up with *8Things then I thought. I guess my half-assed minimalism and determination to Do Less has been effective. If I had made this list a year or two ago it would have involved lots more loot. (Especially clothes. My year without clothes really honed my closet down to an effective minimum.)
Based on the things I noticed here, the most logical thing to give up for Lent would be Television/Movies. Frankly I don’t feel strong enough to do that right now. It enjoy the escape at the end of the day, and having something on in the background is the only way I power through my most hated daily task — making dinner/cleaning the kitchen. Plus the $7.99 a month I spend on Netflix really wouldn’t make much of a dent in the Tsunami Relief efforts.
I’m leaning towards sugar. Sugar and Diet Coke. If I give these things up I can redirect about $10 a week towards a charitable cause. Plus both of these things are driving me more quickly towards death, so giving them up makes me more aware of my own mortality and my desire to not get there any sooner than necessary. (That’s kind of Ash Lent-ish, right?) So there we have it. I’m giving up sugar and Diet Coke for Lent.
I’m sure Jesus would be very proud. ;-)
What about you. What is your list of *8Things: Excess? What do you have too much of in your life? Where is there Excess that drains you? How can you transform your Excess into Abundance for others? You’re answers are sure to inspire us. Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink (not your homepage address) in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing!
*8Things: The Art of Noticing, Old Things:New Eyes
The Art of Noticing series is about practicing presence in accessible, everyday ways. Tired of feeling like life is just whipping past you? Want to feel what you are feeling now, rather than having it sneak up on you later? Eager to find the sacred in your everyday? Join my mailing list to get info on The Art of Noticing: A Practice Group starting May 1st. Thank you for being here!
The Art of Noticing: Old Things, New Eyes
LaLa’s sun, courtesy of Leanna Ramsey-Corrales, Which Way is Home Again.
Yesterday my yoga instructor asked me to “contemplate the characteristic of Surya, the Sun…” She always asks me this. She never forgets. Why? She’s on a on a DVD
But not this time. This time I actually thought about the Sun and her characteristics. Living in northern climes as I do, I am usually desperate for the sun. For Light. For heat. So much so that these are the only characteristics I remember about the her. But yesterday as I looked at the sun — well, at the watery hint of her existence, there, behind the clouds — I came to notice stunning things about her.
*8Things: Characteristics of the Sun
1. The sun warms whatever she touches.
2. The sun grows things — with the help of others. (rain, oxygen, earthworms…)
3. The sun has no fear of running out of energy in this lifetime.
4. The sun is universally loved.
5. The sun goes on burning, even when no one is noticing it.
6. The sun is egoless.
7. The sun, while needed by all living things, is not strained by her necessity.
7. While the sun may appear to grow stronger or weaker, that comes from viewing her from a fixed perspective. At her core, she is consistently energized and un-depleted.
8. The sun does the work of her life without effort or strain, but simply by be-ing
Is there something omnipresent in your life that you need too direct your gaze to once again? Can you see something old anew? We’d love to know what you are re-discovering today. What is your list of *8Things: Old Things: New Eyes? Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink(not your homepage address) in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing!
*8Things: The Art of Noticing, Feel Better
The Art of Noticing series is about practicing presence in accessible, everyday ways. Tired of feeling like life is just whipping past you? Want to feel what you are feeling now, rather than having it sneak up on you later? Eager to find the sacred in your everyday? Join my mailing list to get info on The Art of Noticing: A Practice Group starting May 1st. Thank you for being here!
The Art of Noticing: What helps me feel better.
Yesterday I was turning the pages of my Moleskine calendar 
How can we experience — really experience — the life we are living? Does being present to our everyday help us recognize the sacred? Does paying attention reduce our stress and fill us up? Can the The Art of Noticing give us what we need to save ourselves and others?
I think so.
Let’s start with *8Things. What *8Things help you feel stronger, healthier, better? Don’t make resolutions to do them every morning. Don’t create a plan. Not yet anyway. Just take a moment to ask you body/mind/spirit, “What help you feel better, friend?” I’ll show you mine, if you’ll show me yours.
*8Things: Feel Better
1. I feel ”cleaner” when I drink water.
2. Sun salutation or laps in the pool help me feel bright and alert.
3. I feel calmer if I make my bed and wash my bowl.
4. I am more loving towards my family, if I have some time to myself each day.
5. I feel super nutured if I read in the bathtub.
6. Clearing my desk clears my head.
7. Bare-bulb lighting nurtures my spirit.
8. I feel jolly when friends come to eat at my house.
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What are *8Things you notice helping you feel better? We need your good ideas, because “there ain’t no place to go but together.” Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink (not your homepage address) in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing!
*8Things: Thanks Giving
Thanksgiving is not one of my favorite holidays. While I love seeing my family and having time to just enjoy one another; I find the holiday in general to be a bit over blown. Sometimes you don’t want to be thankful, just because the calendar says so. The gluttony of the holiday gets to me at to — both in regards to food and to the huge shopping day afterwards. And then there’s the whole devastating history of colonization and the genocidal effect it had on the Native American population.
I know. I can be a real Suzie Sunshine about these things.
All that being said, any of us who are sitting in front of a computer right now are living a pretty cushy life compared to many of our brothers and sisters in the world. And honestly, who doesn’t love watching all the cousins stick olives on their fingers at dinner and play a monster round of Monopoly all afternoon while the Uncles roar at the football game and everyone makes turkey sandwiches? It really is good to take pause and be grateful. Even in my most curmudgeonly of moods, I know how good I have it. So today, on this complex holiday, I’d like practice gratitude. here are just *8Things from my long list of thanks-giving.
1. I”m grateful to have a soulcare communitywhich makes space for each other to feel thankful — or not — because truth is valued over conformity.
2. I’m grateful for my husband, who is doing the lionshare of the cooking this Thanksgiving (and every Thanksgiving.)
3. I”m thankful for my family-of-birth, which is rich with love and laughter.
4. I’m thankful for my family-of-choice, who surrounds me with support and companionship.
5. I’m thankful for the people who stood by me through the worst of my illness, who supported me without pushing me and without giving in up until we could find some respite. (Paul, Jen P, Lynette — I’m especially looking at you.)
6. I’m grateful for the friendship of my daughter Eden, who is emotionally wise, intellectually talented, musically gifted, and beautiful to behold.
7. I”m grateful for the companionship of my sweet Cate, who is full of light and laughter, great at cuddling, eager to please, a fabulous budding chef, and an amazing cuddler.
8. I’m grateful for this lush life I live, in which I can be true to the convictions of my body and soul, and for those who live with me, empowering me to make this journey.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
What is your *8Things to be Thankful for? Do tell! We need your good ideas, because “there ain’t no place to go but together.” Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing!
*8Things: Superpowers
My birthday isn’t until Sunday, but look what I got today!
Hello Magpies!
I’ve had a little trouble keeping up with *8Things now that I’m teaching on line classes. My plan now is to offer the play-a-long once a month. If you want to know when it’s up, follow me on Facebook or Twitter and you won’t miss a beat.
Today’s list is inspired by this lovely early birthday gift from Trenda Plunkett of Tarot Mama. It made me think about our unsung Superpowers. I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours.
1. Writing Blessings.
2. Homeskillet-style cooking.
3. Building SoulTribes.
4. Reading Teenagers.
5. Embracing Whimsy.
6. Gremlin Taming.
7. Traveling with Children.
8. Being Dangerously Compassionate.
What is your *8Things : Superpowers list? Do tell! We need your good ideas, because “there ain’t no place to go but together.” Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing!
*8Things that help you feel powerful.
I have a one-track mind these days. Okay two tracks. Track One: survive the emotional tsunami that is getting the kids Back to School. Track Two: Pontificate about standing in your own power.
We’re playing second track for you today at Magpie Girl with *8Things That Help You Feel Powerful.
1. Reading writers who voice inspires mine. Anne Lamott. Stephaine Kallos. Sue Monk Kidd. Mary Oliver. These women help me return to my own true voice. (Maybe our Muse’s are first cousins?)
2. Listening to Mumford and Sons. Those boys are singing my song.
3. Walking around the house in my low-cut black tank and my black lace undies. (Not bad for 40.)
4. Nigiri. Something about raw fish powers up my brain and body and makes me feel STRONG.
5. Coaching moments where the energy is really flowing and the Muse is afoot. (My friend Josh calls me “The Sage” when that happen.)
6. Taking long strong strokes down the length of the swimming pool.
7. Warrior’s Pose.
8. Anything with cleavage.
What *8Things: help you feel powerful? Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalinkin the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing.
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Want to learn how to stand in your own power? It’s the last week to sign up for Power Stories: tips and tales for standing in your own power. This 6 week online course helps you learn to make confident right-fit decisions, and to live out of your own intuitive core. Begins Monday, Sept 13th. Click here for more information.
*8Things: Warning Signs
*8Things is back! Did you miss us? We missed you.
Today at *8Things I’m thinking about all the little clues I carry around that show me when I’m not standing in my own power. If any of these show up, it’s a sure sign that I need to stand a little stronger. I use them as a warning sign to help me clue in and change my approach.
*8Things: Warning Sign
1. Saying “Whatever” too often.
2. Sighing and saying, ”You just decide,” when in a disagreement about plans.
3. Not sending back a coffee that’s not what I ordered, or a meal that’s not prepared well.
4. Not asking for a discount when I know it’s standard business practice to give the deal if asked for. (Like at a car rental place.)
5. Feeling generally resentful. (A good sign that I’m not standing in my own power somewhere.)
6. Rampant jealousy. (This often indicates that i’m not doing what I truly want to do — a weak power stance.)
7. Letting people cut in line in front of me/not speaking up about rude behavior.
8. Feeling regretful of my decisions.
What behaviors act as *8Things: Warning Signs for when you aren’t standing in your own power? Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing.
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Not to be a broken record, butI don’t want you to miss out! So..if you need help learning to stand in your own power, my new course Power Stories: tips and tales for standing in your own power is Pay-What-You-Will through September 3rd. ($100 regular prices). Click here for more information.
*8Things: Honoring Places
Today is our last day in Copenhagen, our ex-pat home for the past 2 1/2 years. (more here and here) I wouldn’t say it’s been a great fit for us, culturally. Families who like to invite strangers in and talk to people on the bus do not acclimate well to Danish culture. But the city itself is at is most charming right now, as though tempting us to stay. I often say that CPH is like an elderly Aunt who has kept herself well. I’d like to remember the good bits, now before I go.
*8Things: To Treasure about Copenhagen
1. Knowing it’s time to pick the kids up from school by the sound of the church bells.
2. Watching the swans nest in city lakes that were once castle moats.
3. Martin encouraging us with the linguistically unique inhaled Danish ”yes” enthusiastically while we tell him a story.
4. Listening to Cate’s friend Johanna speak English and Danish with an Estonian accent. (Like a mini Soviet agent with golden ringlets and a penchant for knock knock jokes.)
5. Riding my bike through the city with my basket full of herbs, flowers, and strawberries.
6. The yellow and rosy-brick buildings with their green-copper turrets.
7. Drinking too much and eating too much with the Neilsen’s in their garden. (Ah! The courtyards!)
8. Walking thru the University Haven with Cate and watching it unfold from snow covered cemetery-silence to ducklings and daffodils.
What’s your list of *8Things: Honoring Places? What do you want to remember about a significant place in your life — your home town, your family’s summer cabin, a room of your own? Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing!
*8Things: On Vacation
*8Things is on vacation. Check back next week, or tame your monkey mind with one of our historic oldies but goodies.
Cheers!
-Your Magpie Girl
