Monday 31 October 2011

November 2011 Newsletter

In this issue:

Reflections: On reflecting
Fund Raising event in Cornwall
Inspirational links

 
On reflecting

As I write this my focus is on preparing for my workshop at the *Euro Coach List Conference, and looking forward to participating in the other sessions myself.

The pleasure of anticipation is peppered with the piquancy of fear: will anyone come to my workshop? Will they enjoy it?

There are a number of special things about this event for me: it is entirely organised by volunteers from the members, no one is being paid, it is a community effort. In addition to well known speakers they have given an opportunity for people such as me to experience being a workshop presenter.

Reflecting on why this event is different for me, I think of all the workshops I have run already: conference sessions for cancer charities; training workshops for colleges and other organisations on self-employment and business planning; 'words for healing' events for Lapidus; my own Dare to Blossom workshops.

All have been different, all special. This conference especially I think because all the people there will be fellow coaches, which feels at the same time the most understanding, and the most challenging of audiences.

Reflecting on this sparked the title of this piece: 'On reflecting'. The process above has helped me put my feelings in context, to see a wider picture. And to focus on the learning and joy I will experience in the event. I am not promoting or selling my services, I am sharing and offering a space for people to take time out for themselves.

I will write next month about the conference, I know it will be full of surprises.


For you: some suggestions for your journal or meditation reflections:

  • What in your life would benefit from reflection at this moment?
  • Where are your thoughts and feelings?  Why are they focused there? 
Your thoughts? If you would like to share them please comment below.

*There are still a few places left at the conference if you feel inspired to join us, click here for details.

Fund Raising Event in Cornwall

The charity "Pete's Dragons" are holding a Ladies' Pamper Evening this week in Launceston, North Cornwall, full details here. I am not able to attend myself but everyone who does will receive a special gift from me of a voucher for a free telephone coaching session.

Inspirational links


"Learning to Fall"
I have yet to read this book by Philip Simmons, sub-titled "The Blessings of an Imperfect Life", this excerpt is a thought provoking reflection on 'falling' in all aspects: 

To tempt you to read, here is the final paragraph:

"We are all—all of us—falling. We are all, now, this moment, in the midst of that descent, fallen from heights that may now seem only a dimly remembered dream, falling toward a depth we can only imagine, glimpsed beneath the water’s surface shimmer. And so let us pray that if we are falling from grace, dear God let us also fall with grace, to grace. If we are falling toward pain and weakness, let us also fall toward sweetness and strength. If we are falling toward death, let us also fall toward life."


Thanks to Soleira Green for these links (see The Visionary Network
www.transformingourworld.com  to sign up for Soleira's newsletters) 

The new Yeo Valley Organic advertisement.

Breathtaking views of Earth from the International Space Station
 
And here is a bit of Halloween fun, sent by Ben in New Zealand, from the (UK) newspaper The Guardian, with pictures taken in California!

Finally, please do visit the Daring to Blossom web site - still work in progress, germinating slowly and soon to bloom spendidily I am sure!

Monday 3 October 2011

a wow moment

Having just been writing about mystery and wonder, this morning I opened the curtains to the most amazing sun rise. I grabbed my camera and dashed outside to try and record some of the stunning 'sky blue pink' colours that covered the whole sky from east to west.


This photo gives a little of the feeling of brightly illuminated mist.









Saturday 1 October 2011

Mystery and other reflections - October newsletter

October 2011

Welcome to the Dare to Blossom newsletter


If this has been forwarded to you by someone else, you can sign up for your own copy every month here.  If you do not wish to receive future editions, please use the link below to unsubscribe. Everyone who is on the mailing list will be entered into a draw twice a year (at the end of June and the end of December) with a chance to win a prize of six free life coaching sessions.

In this issue:


Reflections: Mystery
Daring to Blossom: progress report
Events and news
Inspiring Links: 'Let's ride motorcycles!'
Reflections: Mystery
 

Mystery: what does that mean to you? The word popped up in my mind as an intriguing subject for reflection. And in one of those moments of coincidence (or synchronicity?) the lyrics of the CD I was listening to at that moment contained the word too.

The Cambridge Dictionary definition is: "something strange or not known which has not yet been explained or understood". Some things are a mystery to us individually because we have not experienced them before or learnt about them from others. This sense of mystery is closely tied in with a sense of wonder. Retaining a child-like sense of wonder has always felt important to me, I know when I am becoming over-tired or stressed as that is when I lose that sense of wonder (not to mention my sense of humour!).


I was brought up as a child to always want to know more about the world around me, to observe, to wonder, and to follow things up later. Walks in the country or on the seashore would be followed by taking reference books off the shelves. One of the things that my husband and I have in common is sharing this sense of curiosity and interest in solving a mystery. And wonder: often when we are out one of us will say "Wow, look at that!"

Recently we visited Trevarno Gardens, a charming and indivdual privately owned estate. This time we spent a long time exploring the Victorian rockery and grotto area. We remembered seeing in the displays that there are five stone faces hidden around the rockery, so we spent a while hunting for them and photographing them. Who put them there, and why? The answers may be recorded somewhere but this was an enjoyable mystery for us. Here is a photo of one of them, an interesting face which could be a story in itself.

Trevarno stone face

Later, I had fun with the marvellous colours of the fallen giant rhododrendron leaves, arranging them in a circle of autumn shades. After I had taken my photos I left them as a small mystery for someone else to discover, or the wind to scatter.

Trevarno autumn leaves

In a broader sense, many mysteries of the past have now been explained by science: the workings of the solar system; the moon ruling the tides; the development of a child in the womb before birth. Many of these explanations leave and, even uncover, many more mysteries for us to ponder. Humankind's search for answers and meaning is one of the defining characteristics of being human.

For you: some suggestions for your journal or meditation reflections:

  • What mysteries do you enjoy exploring or investigating?
  • Would you like to plan a walk, trip, day out or the luxury of reading to learn more about one of these subjects?
  • Would you like to write, (prose or poetry), or draw, paint or photograph your mysteries and discoveries?
  • What can you learn about yourself, about others, and the world around you by following your sense of wonder?
Some mysteries that once seemed unknowable have been illuminated by science, others are perhaps eternal.  The questions of love, life and death have been pondered and explored by philosophers, artists, writers, and scientists - ever since the earliest cave men painted on the walls of their caves.

Many inspiring quotations are attributed to Einstein, and this seems a good one to finish with today:

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."


SourceCopyright: Kevin Harris 1995 (may be freely distributed with this acknowledgement)

Daring to Blossom: progress report
I have taken the plunge and put up the first few pages of the new Daring to Blossom: Seeing You, Being You website. At the moment it is a very tentative little green shoot. I hope you will help me nurture it as it grows and develops into the wonderful vision I have of a place for people to join with like-minded people in discussions,to share ideas, to take part in online courses and to find out about workshops and events. I would love to hear your comments and suggestions, either by email or by commenting on the Dare to Blossom blog.

Events and News: Euro Coach List Conference 4 & 5 November 2011 

I am repeating this item from last month as it may be of interest to readers in the personal development field. The Euro Coach List is an online group for anyone involved in coaching of any kind, and has been a valuable source of support to me (and to many others I know). We share experiences, knowledge, learning, ideas - and the conference is organised by a team of volunteers. You do not have to be a member to attend, though there is a discount if you are, and you can find out more here: www.eclconference.com. There is a wonderful programme of speakers in a peaceful country house location.

Online Magazine, teleclasses and course from Soleira Green
Soleira Green has launched a new online magazine: "Created by 25 people from 7 countries, Visionary Voices is a treasure chest of visionary articles, interviews, events, art, poetry, and more." 
www.visionaryvoices.net. She has two events coming up soon:

Wild Organic Abundance for people new to our work
Starts Thursday October 6th
 
Visionary Coach ~ Creator course
October 21st-23rd in West Sussex, UK
Inspiring Links: you may have seen this before, worth watching more than once, it reminds me not to give into the aches and pains I may feel, click here for inspiration on following dreams.