Tools for the Journey #10 - Christmas Wisdom - Timeless Wisdom

Tools for the Journey #9 - Seeing possibilities

What do you think when you see one of these mystical, magical balls in your yard? Do you see weeds? Do you think hassle? Or do you see........possibilities? For me I am in the later group; when I see dandelions gone to seed, I see pure possibilities! Like a child on Christmas morning I can't wait to run out into the yard and start making wishes! This is a simple pleasure, and in my heart I feel perhaps all of my truest wishes might just change the world if I wish them on enough dandelions!

When was the last time you picked one of these magical balls and with your exhale made a wish? Breath-sending-wish out onto the wind with your heart so fully open, and new and full of hope and belief in possibilities!?

One sunny afternoon when my yard was overflowing with these "possibilities" - I decided to find out just how many possibilities exist in a single dandelion. Armed with my curiosity I went out and picked three dandelions of differing sizes, I came inside, and with tweezers in hand I counted the seeds of each separate puffy globe.

Largest globe: 184
Medium globe: 164
Smallest globe: 158

The numbers surprised me because I had assumed the number of seedlings of the smallest globe would be far fewer than the number of seedlings on the largest globe. However you can see from the numbers this was not the case. I was delighted at this discovery and took this as a message and a metaphor. Possibilities themselves are not "big" nor "small"...they just are and become what we make of them.

Possibilities are all around us and many are hidden in plain sight yet disguised as annoyances or inconveniences on the surface. If we look carefully we may discover myriad possibilities right in front of us, just below eye level. To discover the extraordinary within the ordinary perhaps we need "new eyes".

I used to think one dandelion = one wish.
The way I now figure it is even with the smallest globe I get 158 wishes rather than just one. Granted this might mean I spend more time standing in my yard or by the side of the road somewhere thinking up 158 wishes...but this might not be so bad after all.

Another thought I had was: we get 1 wish and 157 thank-yous for the opportunity to make the wish. So very much to be grateful for...and any wish made should, in my way off looking at things, always be partnered with gratitude from the outset.

Gratitude for possibilities.
Gratitude for the miraculous life.
Gratitude for witnessing the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary.
Gratitude for the generosity of friends as they provide me with a never-ending supply of tools for my journey.
Gratitude on this Memorial Day for all of our service men and women past and present.

Not many people land here on this blog page perhaps, but I visualize each blog post as a unique puffy dandelion globe. I exhale my breath and watch as all the tiny seedlings float out onto the winds of cyberspace realizing one will never know how far and wide the distance our wishes travel...or whose heart it may touch.

Here is my one wish: that each person who lands here and reads this finds some value, some insights, some hope and perhaps even some useful tools for their journey.

Also, symbolically here are my 157 thank-yous for the opportunity to make the wish in the first place!
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Blessings on the journey!
In-Joy
Cheryl

Tools for the Journey #8 - Lift As You Climb!

Today my heart is heavy for all of the loss, sorrow, and unimaginable suffering and heart ache going on in Haiti. The images of so many of our fellow humans in so much pain is stunning to the point of taking my breath away. There are no words any of us not there are qualified to speak about this tragedy other than to speak out loud that we see, we hear, and we will help in whatever way we can.

In honor of our brothers and sisters in Haiti I want to share a small miracle which I helped to create and which is hopefully having a positive impact on some people in Haiti now. I don't say this to impress you, but rather to impress upon you how even our smallest actions still have the potential to cause good ripples which can be far reaching.

Last fall the ABC Extreme Makeover Home Edition show came to our small corner of New Hampshire and rebuilt the home of some close friends of mine. As a result of participating in this event, I began to make an effort to watch this television program once in a while. One day while watching an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, I heard the story of a pastor from New Orleans whose church was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. This man, Pastor Willie Walker, was a hero in his community for his selfless efforts in the aftermath of devastation which was caused by Hurricane Katrina.

I was deeply touched by Pastor Walker's spirit, and by his story. So that night I wrote down his name thinking I would Google him and send him a card thanking him for his courage and good deeds. Months went by, and running at the speed of life with small children and a full time job meant his name sat on my desk on a piece of paper week after week. Finally in early January I followed through on what my heart kept telling me to do; I located his number online and I called him. We had a lovely conversation, and I hung up the phone knowing I had found a kindred spirit at the other end of the phone line that day. Willie Walker is most definitely a man who makes a habit of lifting as he climbs.

Just one week after our phone conversation the earthquake in Haiti happened.

After the earthquake I began receiving daily updates from friends who have a number of orphanages in Port au Prince. I was moved to forward these updates along via email to Pastor Walker; within 24 hours I received an email from him asking me to call him ASAP. When I reached him he told me he was working diligently to get down to Haiti to help in whatever way he could, but he did not have any connections in Haiti or anyone specific to help when he got there.

Long story short, I was able to put him in touch with our friends in Port au Prince(http://www.heartlineministries.org/) and Pastor Walker was able to pull some strings to get himself flown down to Haiti. He is now there at the Maranatha Orphanage in Port au Prince helping our friends and the children in the orphanage!!! They desperately needed the extra hands, and there appeared Pastor Walker out of the clear blue sky.

This is a miracle. It is something which would never have happened had I not been moved by his story and then followed my heart and reached out to him. Now, because of this there are orphaned children in Haiti with one more person tending to them, and people from the slums are being transported to the Heartline Ministries clinic so their injuries can be treated - and Pastor Walker is there helping because I reached out, made a friend, took a risk.

For each of us there are times when day to day life can be a challenge; maybe there are financial struggles, lost jobs, relationship issues, sick children, and these things can be a heavy weight upon us as we "climb". But if we remember to "lift as we climb" (by reaching out and helping another) then perhaps we may find unexpected courage, and even the burdens which seem too heavy - might somehow be lightened.

All of my burdens these days are lighter when I consider the unimaginable weight on the shoulders of those in Haiti today. I will keep climbing, I will continue to take risks and reach out when my heart pulls me to do so... There is comfort in knowing if I "lift as I climb" then someone else's burden may be made lighter by my willingness to reach out and lift them along with me.

Blessings on your journey.
Lift as you climb!
Never under estimate the power of reaching out!
Cheryl

Tools for the Journey #7 - Point of View vs. Viewing Point

As we head off down the path of a new year I find myself curious to see what 2010 holds in store for me. As I ponder possibilities and plans I am reminded of one of the great tools I was given by my mentor and friend, Tom Crum. This particular tool I keep close at hand and use often. I cannot begin to tell you how much it has helped me over the years to find lost perspective. Tom's distinction between a "point of view" and a "viewing point" is simple, yet profound. Allow me to share this tool with you as a New Year's gift.

“When I am hiking in the mountains, I often find myself on densely wooded trails, not quite sure where I am or where I am going. It expands my perception and perspective dramatically to climb a tree or a ridge to take a look not only at my point on the path, but also at my point’s relation to other places along the path. In a conflict, being willing to change allows you to move from a point of view to a viewing point – a higher, more expansive place, from which you can see both sides. A point of view is often something we need to defend. A viewing point is a place of increased perspective and greater possibilities. Rising up to a viewing point takes only one person. It doesn’t require movement on the other person’s part. Rising up to a viewing point does not mean totally forsaking your point of view. It puts your point of view in perspective in relation to the whole.”

From: The Magic of Conflict by Thomas F. Crum

January 1st always feels fresh and bursting with potential. However, as weeks and months pass and life begins dishing up her various challenges I often get temporarily lost in the "forest" of things. Remembering Tom's tool I step back, climb up and from this elevated viewing point I can more easily see my place on the path in relation to the world around me...and this increased perspective makes all the difference...enabling me to begin anew.

This year if you find yourself in the thick of things; if you can't see the forest for the trees...remember you can stop at any time, climb up and get a higher view of things. The perspective afforded from this more "expansive place" can be transformational on many levels. When we can put our point of view in perspective in relation to the whole, then anything is possible.

"What would it be like if you lived each day, each breath, as a work of art in progress? Imagine that you are a Masterpiece unfolding, every second of every day, a work of art taking form with every breath." -Thomas Crum

Blessings on your journey!
Cheryl

Tools for the Journey #6 - REACH

My friend, Erik Weihenmayer is the most famous adaptive athlete in the world. He is the only blind mountaineer who has summited all Seven Summits. Recently, while visiting us in New Hampshire, Erik gave me one of the most important "tools for the journey" I have received in a long time.

These simple words from him will serve me well on the journey ahead:

"When you are reaching for your goals sometimes this means you will be reaching out into darkness - reach anyway. Trust yourself. Trust the people closest to you to support you. Trust the ground underneath you, and reach out with courage because the "darkness" is a temporary state." (www.touchthetop.com)

While Erik was in New Hampshire I took him climbing. Watching him climb the chosen vertical rock face I saw him act out this advice. He made sure he had all the necessary equipment (tools) to accomplish the task before him, he had someone go ahead of him to clip in the anchors he'd need to prevent him from falling too far if he fell, and then he started climbing. He trusted the people with him on this adventure to support him, he trusted the rock beneath him, and he reached out with courage for where he wanted to go.

Standing there among the splendid wash of autumn colors watching Erik climb that rock face changed me. Watching someone with far more to fear, reach bravely out into the darkness was powerful and encouraging. Erik lives his own advice every day. Even though the "darkness" for him is a permanent state - he showed me it is just a choice, a state of mind rather than a state of being...and he chooses light as his state of mind, the place he comes from, even as he continually reaches out into the darkness.

Time Magazine put it best: "There is no way to put what Erik has done into perspective because no one has ever done anything like it. It is a unique achievement, one that in the truest sense pushes the limits of what man is capable."

So, my friends REACH; and remember the darkness is only a temporary state.

Cheryl

Tools for the Journey #5 - Exhaling Gratitude

Back when I was in my early twenties - while living in Colorado - I had the privilege of working with John Denver. During that time John gave me a powerful tool for my journey which I would like to share with you.

Over the course of the years we worked together there was one thing about John which was always present. It was present in his actions, it was present in his speaking, it was present in the work he did, and it was present in the way he walked through his daily life. His modeling this for me at that point on my journey was incredibly powerful. He breathed it in, he exhaled it, and it is who he was. Never in my life had I seen anyone else do this so absolutely…and I have not seen it exhibited in anyone else to the same extent in the nearly 20+ years since then.

John was grateful. His level of gratitude was staggering in its depth and breadth. He was grateful every day, all the time, without exception, on good days and bad, from sun up to sun down. He felt it, he lived it, he modeled it, and all that he did, all that he gave, all that he sang - was an expression of his gratitude. Without exception and without question he was grateful.

John’s most sincere wish was to make a difference in the world. One of the most important lessons I learned from him was how wanting to make a difference was not a place he was “going”, it was the place he was coming from; it was foundational for him. He knew the journey could be long, he knew some would criticize him, doubt his motives and question his sincerity...but gratitude was his fuel, it was the powerful ground he stood upon, it was how he looked out of his eyes, and thus nothing could stop nor deter him. He employed what I like to call the "Kennedy" approach:

In 1962 John F. Kennedy decided to put a man on the moon within 10 years. To reach his goal he surrounded himself with every expert he could find. Interestingly, he also made sure to surround himself with plenty of people who told him “it can’t be done”. Why? Because these were the people who would point out the flaws in his plan. Brilliant! He didn’t shun the nay-sayers; he included them, and was grateful for them, because they helped him reach his goal! Mr. Kennedy decided failure wasn’t an option so he found a way to have everything and everyone contribute to the successful outcome of the project.

John was the same - he included everyone and was grateful for what they brought to the table. He smiled a lot and really did say, "Far out" all the time! He truly was one of the best people I have ever known. He lived and breathed gratitude day in and day out and he gave me a precious gift by showing me what this way of being-gratitude can do in the world.

As you travel the road ahead you will receive many different “gifts” - be thankful for all of them ("good" or "bad"). These gifts are the treasures of your journey, the tools which will help you through the challenges ahead...if you stay open and remember to stay grateful.

I believe that we are here for each other, not against each other.
Everything comes from an understanding that you are a gift in my life – whoever you are, whatever our differences. -John Denver



Blessings on the Journey!

Cheryl
exhaleyourself@yahoo.com

Tools for the Journey #4 - The Weight of a Snowflake

Last night I went to “inhale” (=receive) a Jason Mraz concert in Boston. On my drive home I considered the “gifts” I had received and how I could exhale them to the people in my life. My experience from yesterday is a perfect case-in-point for how each and every person on our journey (even strangers we may never know personally) has a gift for us if we are open to receiving.

Someone exhales their gift; how we receive it is up to us. Once the gift is given the giver is finished and the “how” of receiving is completely up to the receiver. It took time for me to understand the old saying: “The gift is in the giving”, but as a writer I live this every day. I write to exhale my gifts, and the act of giving has to be enough; if I attach too much to how it will be received then my giving is not as pure.

So, as I steered my Toyota towards the Bank of America Pavilion for the show I asked the Universe for three miracles to happen for me at the event. This is something I do sometimes, and I find the more pure and honest the environment I walk into, the more likely the "miracles" will happen. I am happy to tell you all three Universal requests were answered and then some.

The gifts I received may not be the gifts the person sitting next to me received. This is the wonder-full thing about gifts of this nature. Jason (et al) exhaled the same gift to all 5000 of us, yet everyone came away with a one-of-a-kind present to take home. The reason for this is Jason Mraz (the person) is the messenger rather than the message. His exhale is the message; is the gift. Through exhaling a message of hope, love and gratitude – good ripples were created which I choose to visualize as creating other good ripples in farther and farther reaching circles today.

Jason Mraz, and his merry band of brothers and sisters exhaled a gratitude-filled, love inspired mantra to the audience. This exhale is absolutely the place each of them is coming from, and the message is an important shoulder-tap in our far too busy lives. Be Love! As I listened it occurred to me in a spectacular AH HA moment...these songs, these exhales from Mraz and Company are vibrational mantras. As we sing along we breath in and re-exhale out this positive mantra to the Universe. Brilliant.

In an effort to re-exhale the positive chant from last nightI want to share a story with you which I wish I’d had the opportunity to share with Jason Mraz and his family last night.

"Tell me the weight of a snowflake," a coal-mouse (a small bird) asked a wild dove.

"Nothing more than nothing," was the answer.

"In that case, I must tell you a marvelous story," the coal-mouse said.

"I sat on the branch of a fir, close to its trunk, when it began to snow - not heavily, not in a raging blizzard- no, just like in a dream, without a wind, without any violence. Since I did not have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,741,952. When the 3,741,953rd dropped onto my branch, nothing more than nothing as you say, the branch broke off."

Having said that, the coal mouse flew away.

The dove, since Noah's time an authority on the matter, thought about the story for a while, and finally said to herself, "Perhaps there is only one person's voice lacking for peace to come to the world."

(From: A Tale for all Seasons by Kurt Kauter)
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Moral of this blog post - Be a receiver and a giver (an inhaler & an exhaler).
Add your voice. Yours may be the one voice missing which could change everything.
Be the messenger.
Be a snowflake.
Be Love.

Blessings on the journey!
Cheryl