Wild Grass by Kevin Dooley

The winds of life often blow us around… and I’ve certainly had my fair share of that lately. Thought I’d do one of those quick update posts about all the bits and pieces.

Where I’ve been when I’ve not been here

You can still find me around the web, even when I’m not here at The Clearing Space (and yeah, I’m very aware I haven’t been here much):

Join me at Twitter (the newest way to watch time fly by) I’m enjoying meeting wonderful new folk and learning something every day!

At The Calm Space (which does take up the bulk of my time these days, as new and exciting things are cooking on the stove…) - this month you’ll find our incredibly wise contributors (and me) writing about Kindness.

At Joyful Jubilant Learning - where my latest article about my journey post-employment and being kind to myself - A time to consolidate, A time to be kind -  has attracted an amazing array of comment conversation! I’m so honoured to be a part of that community of wise, warm and witty learners.

What else has been happening - off-line

We’ve bought a block of land - big enough for horses - and we’re planning our new home! Please throw me any hints and tips on how to handle the stress of building a house, and selling the current one. We’ve never built before… and have been in this home over 15 years!

One of the reasons for my absence lately was a glorious trip, just hubby and I, to Palau last month. Hubby went diving and I learned how to relax! Yes, I was twitchy for the first few days, and there were moments when I panicked at the thought of running out of books to read (I found no book shops on the island) - but we had a fantastic time with the six other Aussies on our trip.

I snorkelled for the first time ever - in a lake full of jellyfish! Here’s the photographic proof. Those things all around me & in the separate photo are the jellyfish…

So, that’s me all caught up. What’s been happening with you?

With an article to get up at Joyful, Jubilant Learning, I borrowed hubby’s laptop and got to it.

My contribution to the April line-up at JJL is A Time for Space:

Whether we need to clean out the fridge, our wardrobe or the entire house; whether we need to reassess relationships to sort the good from the not-so-good; whether we need to turn down the volume a little and retreat; or whether we need to open space in our diaries, cull items from our to-do lists, ditch some obligations or say ‘no’ a little more often: creating space is about making room for living our best life.

You can read the full article at JJL.

My diary has just reminded me of one further thing I’d like to mention. Whilst posting here at The Clearing Space has been sporadic of late - as The Calm Space soaks up my energy and attention - I’m forever thrilled and grateful to those who continue to read here, those who comment and those who let me know privately their reactions to my occasional postings.

Yesterday, in amongst the kerfuffle of the laptop drama, was The Clearing Space’s Fourth Birthday!

When I began writing here at the suggestion of Leah Maclean, way back in 2005, I don’t think I ever imagined a fourth birthday happening. I took it day by day. Writing here has taught me that occasionally what I need to write is what someone else needs to hear. And that is the reason I have never given it up, despite it looking a little like I was going to sometimes.

If you’re reading this, then you are someone I truly value. Thank you from the bottom of my heart - the birthday wishes are all for you.

I may be the last person on the planet to see this, but if you haven’t yet seen this wonderfully dowdy lady from a village in UK blow Simon Cowell’s mind (and change the mind of all those rolling their eyes and sniggering as she first appeared on stage) you need to watch it. Now.

Go watch… I’ll wait…

You’re back? Great…

What a miracle for Susan Boyle. No matter what happens now, she truly is a star. Her dream has come true. She has the voice of an angel.

What dream are you chasing? There really is hope, you know…

No matter what you call it, a conversation is one of the best ways to connect with people you care about, and even with those you don’t.

Rosa would call it ‘Talking Story” and we agree!

Hand the talking stick around and let’s get this party started!

Sit Down by Saxon on Flickr

In one of my favourite books, Gift from the SeaAnne Morrow Lindberg said: “Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.”

We don’t want to keep you up too late, but we do want you to join in the conversations we’re having at The Calm Space throughout April.  There is too much in the issue for me to waffle on about here - so just go, have a look at the line-up and jump right in.

While you’re visiting with us, please pop by the Challenge Space where we’ve got a little competition going and join in - we’ve already some thought provoking entries!

Don’t forget to visit the Breathing Space and download your April desktop featuring the amazing photography of Amy Palko and the digital wizardry of Leah Maclean. It will bring a smile to your face whenever you’re at your computer.

I wish you a happy, relaxing, conversation-filled Easter, full of loving family and good friends all ready for a bit of a blather…

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place

but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment
- Dorothy Neville

Sit quietly doing nothing,

spring comes,

and the grass grows

by itself.

~Zen Wisdom

I’ve just settled back at my desk after mowing our lawn (with the ride-on mower - we have two acres:) and this saying sprang to mind. Even though it’s late summer our grass is lush and green and seems to grow as you watch it!

I love the smell of fresh cut grass. It’s so earthy and rich and, well, green.

The seasons roll around so serenely, don’t they? Mother Nature just keeps on doing her thing, never fretting about heat or wind or hail. Taking damage as well as lushness in her stride. Even in times of chaos her power and rawness are breathtaking.

Sometimes, in times of mental chaos - longing for stillness - I seek out Mother Nature as a balm to soothe my soul and calm my frantic thoughts.

When was the last time you sat quietly doing nothing and let Mother Nature work her magic on you?

I felt unappreciated, uptight and drained. Very drained.

But as I pulled into the riding school, there she was on her big boy - riding up a dream. I told her to keep going and parked the car so I could sit and watch without being eaten alive by mozzies.

And as I watched her, I felt this release… This time was a gift. Here I was watching my gorgeous daughter ride her magnificent horse, the almost-full moon rising behind her, the sun setting to my left.

I took a deep breath.  The tension magically bled out of me, flowing through the seat of the car and off into the ether…

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

I get goosebumps every time I read that! What about you?

Now here’s how I was reminded…

Joyful, Jubilant Learning is that wonderful community place where I sit in awe of the wisdom, generosity, acceptance and love of those who contribute and those who join in the conversations. And for the month of March, and half way into April it’s A Love Affair With Books time! My favourite time of year at JJL…

The book I read and selected for review this year is Marianne Williamson’s The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife.

I have to admit this book sat on my shelf for quite some time while I came to terms with the fact that, yes, I probably am in midlife now… and not something younger. Sigh…

After reading this book, I’m no longer in such fear of being ‘older’ and not quite so ‘cool’ as I used to be. In fact, being cool was never something I aspired to. My kids have words for me that I don’t think will change with age. Words like weird, hippy, and crazy.

You can read the full review, and the wonderful comment conversation on JJL here. Will you join in the conversation?

Why not check out the rest of the book reviews while you’re at it. We’ve had an amazingly diverse range of books reviewed so far - and many more to come! Here’s to an overflowing list of books to be read!

image from quotablecards.com

Dance. Love. Sing. Live… what more is there than this?

Vicki Baum said “There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.”

On the days when we’re feeling a little blah there is nothing like stirring up the blood with a little foot stomping or hip wiggling or shimmy shaking to lift our spirits (preferably with great music, played loud).

I believe you cannot do a good twist or jive without a smile on your face… so we’re sharing all those happy dancing hormones with you as we dance through February at The Calm Space.

Join us?

There’s plenty more for you this month - in fact a whole month full of dancing and loving over at The Calm Space (and way too much for me to go on about here)… We’d love for you to join in the dance - come on over and kick off your shoes… and please leave a comment or two - we’ll be certain to respond.

www.thecalmspace.com

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summers day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.

~John Lubbock

Summer, glorious summer. We complain about the heat and about the humidity. Today I found myself feeling very sorry for my southern friends who are frying in continuous days of temps over 40°c. And thank ful for the rain here that cooled things down a little, even as it sent the humidity levels soaring.

Then as I took my lunch outside on the verandah in the company of my dogs, and relished the breeze that sprang up intermittently, I realised.

Is not this the perfect time to rest? To sit very still? To be?

Is that not what summer is all about? A time to be patient. A time to keep our cool. A time to listen, think, breathe.

We try to subvert the natural order of things when we wish the season past already. For without the summer, how could we appreciate the approach of autumn?

Summer is the time when one sheds one’s tensions with one’s clothes, and the right kind of day is jewelled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all’s right with the world.

~Ada Louise Huxtable

And now let us welcome the New Year - full of things that have never been…

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Tonight we see out another year. Where it’s gone, I’m not sure. It seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye, yet I am having a hard time remembering New Year’s Eve 2007… that was only yesterday, wasn’t it?

To you, my friend - I wish a happy reflection of the year gone by, a rousing celebration of the start of a new one, and a year ahead full of possibilities and resounding with magic.

Happy New Year!

]]> http://www.theclearingspace.com.au/2008/12/31/happy-new-year-to-all/feed/ http://www.theclearingspace.com.au/2008/10/02/two-birthdays-and-an-adventure/ http://www.theclearingspace.com.au/2008/10/02/two-birthdays-and-an-adventure/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:33:38 +0000 karen http://www.theclearingspace.com.au/?p=472 The first of October marks two significant birthdays in the world of blogs and online magazines (well, MY world, anyway).

The Calm Space celebrates it’s first birthday this month with a huge lineup of prizes, and wonderful articles, ideas and celebrations on the theme of Adventuring.

Happy 1st Birthday Calm Space and a huge thank you to all our wonderful contributors!

Joyful, Jubilant Learning (or JJL as it’s affectionately known) also celebrates with two years of wonderful writing, learning and conversation! I am a proud contributor to JJL, and you can find some of my recent articles here. Take a look at the wonderful conversations that happen there in the comments, they really warm my heart.

Happy 2nd Birthday JJL!

When you stop doing something you’ve been doing for as long as you can remember, (in my case, working as an employee), you fully expect to free up these huge gobs of time every week. And in those enormous hours, you’d be justified in thinking you’d get all those things done that you never had time for before. Wouldn’t you?

Hmm… so why isn’t it working out that way?

It’s always been my ‘theme song’ to clear space in my life to let the good things in. And I know that the universe abhors a vacuum - if you clear space, something will always rush in to fill it.

What I hadn’t experienced before is the speed and sheer ferocity with which the space gets filled!

Last night, as I was feeling once again like I was waaaay behind as I shovelled yet another load of whiltes in the washing machine, I realised my problem.

I had ‘expectations’.

In the planning for my ‘retirement’, I may not have been able to imagine my days without work, but what I was able to do was develop this huge list of Things To Get Done When I Retire. And that list? Whew - if I work at it solidly for the next 10 years or so, I may make a dint.

Did I really think that all that would get done, quickly, completely and with ease within the first four weeks and then I could relax and get down to the serious business of growing a business?

The problem isn’t the list.

It’s my expectations that freeing up some time was miraculously going to get this all done. Especially when the universe, in it’s infinite wisdom, has decided I need to do other things.

It is so time to toss out those expectations and start developing a workable and inspiring lifestyle. With plenty of room left in for the little things that always crop up.

A Clearing Space Moment

What unrealistic expectations are you beating yourself up about? Are you doing the best you can do with what you have?

Then why are you beating yourself up about it?

Spring is all about new growth, renewal, flinging off the layers and getting outside.

Already I am feeling much more inclined to clear out cupboards and sort through papers… it’s curious how different that is to even a week ago, but I am not complaining - it sorely needs doing. I’ve been on the reinvention path for a while now, and the sorting, purging and organising is one of those critical must-do’s in order for me to fully walk into my new life as an ex-employee.

And on the subject of reinvention - we’re talking much more about it over at The Calm Space in our September edition. I share some tips I found valuable on my own path of reinvention, and there is lots of wonderful wisdom, tips, encouragement and fun from our wonderful team of contributors! Take a bow Annie, Amy, Angela, Chris, Grant, Joanna, Joanne, Leah, Marc, and Marj!

Go on! What are you waiting for? The time is ripe and the wind is blowing the right way…

There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.

By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.

Robert Louis Stevenson

I often think about being happy, what makes us happy and what stops us feeling content. (Drives my family crazy!)

On one of those thinking expeditions a few months ago, I came to the realisation that drastic change was necessary for my inner equilibrium. Something was throwing me off kilter. Way off.

I’ve been dropping hints about change here and there quite a bit lately, and now’s the time to tell you that the steps have been taken. The fear has been faced. The aftermath has been lived through.

Today is a red letter day indeed, and not just for the auspiciousness of the date.

For the last 20 years, I have held down a corporate job with the same company. I’ve borne my children while working for them. I’ve seen countless people come and go, made friends, grown as the company has grown and learned innumerable lessons along the way. I have grown up, I guess, working for them.

No longer.

I dropped off the key, Lee, I’m free. (Actually, it was a computer, not a key, but that doesn’t work in the song that’s been reverberating around in my head for the last week). Last night at 6pm I logged out for the last time.

This morning I woke up a free woman.

I no longer have staff reporting to me. I no longer report to the MD in another state. I no longer need to switch on my computer at 8am every morning and check emails. I no longer need to deal with complaining clients and recalcitrant staff!

I’ve left it in good hands - hands that are eager for the challenge, a heart that’s ready to take charge and a level of energy and enthusiasm that I had lost, somewhere along the way.

Now is my time. I’m not sure exactly what that will look like, but I am certain that The Calm Space is going to be a big part of that. The dreams and ideas are bulging from my notebooks and now, apparently, I’ll have time for them.

It’s going to take a bit of getting used to. Right now, I’m not sure I feel any different… but the two beautiful bunches of flowers remind me that something very special has happened this week.

Today is celebration day.

Here’s to being happy.

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.

~E.F. Schumacker

I don’t profess to be a genius, and I know that I often tend to complicate matters when I think I am simplifying them, but this quote resounded with me. It does take a lot of courage to move against the flow… and to move against expectations and the pressure to conform.

It seems to me that we get to a certain point in our lives - and for each of us, it’s a different point, caused by different circumstances and influences - and we feel the need for simplicity. We long for order, calm and a simple life - free of the pressures, demands and chaos we’re incessantly bombarded with.

For me, it was a disillusionment with the corporate world, coupled with the realisation of the need to feel grounded and reconnect with nature.

Simplifying my life has meant going within, seeking beauty and joy, and looking less for happiness from external sources. It will be a life long process.

This month at The Calm Space we’re talking about Simplicity. Each of our expanding team of contributors talks about simplicity as it relates to their own particular genius, and I feel blessed to read their inspiring words, and see their beautiful photography. We’d love to have you join the conversation.