Reflective Reading: Finding the Indestructible

Here we are. Living our lives in uncharted times. Is it just me or did the reality of the world shift suddenly and seemingly without warning? I’ve been noticing how quick we are to adapt. What seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago; spending days, weeks on end at home, without school, activities has quickly become almost normal. My kids and I are settling into a rhythm of our days that is predictable, peaceful and for now, okay. My daughter, the little sage, told me recently, “I think that at the end of this people are going to appreciate nature a lot more.” I think she is right. We are walking outside and slowing down. There just isn’t anyplace else to be. Last night we were on a walk and spotted two doves, in different locations that were walking on the ground. We stopped to observe both, each dove let us watched for several minutes. As we started to move on she held her hands together, bowed her head and said to each dove, “we bid you peace.” (she is totally my daughter…) Like most people, I vacillate between fear, acceptance, peace, and even joy. I’m having trouble reading any books right now. But I am finding that short, powerful paragraphs or essays are helpful. This quote by Pema Chodron seemed especially powerful for this season. Reflective reading is about slowing down to find the gold. It will be different for each of us. Read the passage slowly, what word or phrase stands out to you? What message do those words or phrases have uniquely for you? Is there an invitation for new ways to see or new ways to think? Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and overto annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us… Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing.We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem,but the truth is that things don’t really get solved.They come together and they fall apart.Then they come together again and fall apart again.It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen:room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.  Pema Chödrön Some {MORE} Resources: Did you download my {Free} E-Book of questions and tools for asking better questions? You can get that here. I’m so excited to share the Strategic Futuring {Choose-Your-Dicount-Sale}: Strategic Futuring is a process that I learned in graduate school. It’s a vision-based planning process, that I LOVE! Last year The Genysys Group asked me to teach Strategic Futuring online -it was a dream come true and the realization of MY vision. Today we are launching a Choose-Your-Discount-Sale of the online course! {I taught the class-do I wish I were less awkward on video? Yes! But do I believe so much in the material that I’m willing to be awkward to get the word out…again, YES!) If you are, say under a Stay-At-Home order and looking for tools for growth and development… I KNOW that you’ll find value in Strategic Futuring. We really mean Choose-Your-Discount. We wanted to make it, name-your-price, but after days of trying to get the technology to work, we’ve gone with this method! If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose.

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