October 2015 - Gone to Seed

Welcome to the Dare to Blossom Newsletter In this Issue:  Reflections: Gone to Seed Events Special offer coaching package Inspirational book: Gifted by Grief Dare to Blossom Art update Reflections: Gone to Seed My reflections this month are inspired by reading Goddesses in Older Women  by Jean Shinoda Bolen (thank you to Amy Palko for introducing me to her writing). She discusses how the phrase 'gone to seed' can be used in a derogatory way, and also how it can be a positive concept for the third phase of life (and for me, this applies to men and women). In the discussion (pages 202/203) Jean comments on how the 'planting the seed' botanical metaphor only goes so far. The wonderful aspect of passing on the seeds of wisdom that have been harvested throughout a life is that: "In the physical and economic world, if I give you something, then I no longer have it. Wisdom and love behave altogether differently: if I give you my love or wisdom, both of us can have it. And even more remarkable, you may pass it on and not only still retain it, but it will grow with each transaction. The more we give away, the more there is and the more we have. Another remarkable quality is that if I give you my wisdom and it rings true in you, what I gave you was really already in you, and you recognised it as your own. The more we bring our wisdom into the world, the more wisdom there will be, and the easier it will be fore other women to find it in themselves." (p. 203) Reflecting on this, it helps me find a path through what I might previously have seen as a contradiction, a dilemma. If my role as a coach and through the Rediscovery Cards, workshops and writing is to help you 'rediscover your inner wisdom', who am I to feel that my experience, my learning, my accumulated wisdom - is relevant or valuable? However, using Jean's words, I can see that if I trust my own inner wisdom and dare to share that, to pass on those seeds to others - then you may "recognise it as your own" This helps me acknowledge my strength, to recognise it as a peaceful, serene, calm inner power and allow that to shine and radiate when I meet people. For you, to reflect on your meditations or journal. This time these are suggestions for flow writing, visualisation, collage-making or art: - explore the word, the idea "Wisdom" - what is it? What does it mean to you? What images does it prompt you to picture in your mind's eye? - where is your Wisdom held? Head, heart, gut? Your ability to listen, or to speak? - follow your thoughts and intuition where it may take you. Events Just after you receive this, on 2 October, I will be attending the Refresh Conference in Cullompton, Devon, organised by Women's Development Unlimited. There are inspiring speakers and workshops and a selection of trade stands - including me So if you are in the area and can come along that day, you can still book a ticket, it would be wonderful to see you there. Another event where I have a trade stand is the St Mellion Business Show, near Saltash. There is free entry to this, so again please to come and say hello if you are visiting the show on Thursday 15 October. Later in October, I am giving a talk at the Leading Women Bodmin group meeting on Tuesday 27 October, from 6.30 - 6.30 pm. The subject will be coaching using the Rediscovery Cards. You can book a place using the link above, and you do not need to be a member to do so. It will be good to see you if you are able to come along. The next Dare to Blossom Magic Carpet Ride workshop is at Hayle, on 21 November, full details here. More on that in the November newsletter.  Special Offer Thank you to those of you who sent feedback on the extra bulletin I sent you about the special coaching package. I have incorporated your suggestions and the "better than half price" offer is open up to the end of October. More  information and booking details here. If you are not sure - there is always the opportunity to book a 20 minute consultation - a conversation between us for you to find out how it would work for you. There is no expectation from me that you will take up coaching after the free 20 minutes, so please do not hesitate to contact me - it is a joy to connect with you on Skype or the phone.. We can also discuss how to make payment convenient for you. Inspirational Book: Gifted by Grief I have just finished reading an extraordinary book by a coaching friend of mine, Jane Duncan Rogers, Gifted by Grief: A true story of cancer, loss and rebirth. I found moving and eye-opening the way she is able to describe the process she and her husband went through during his illness and death. Most of all it is a story of hope and spiritual reawakening. As Robert Holden says in the introduction: "In sharing her journey with grief, Jane helps us with our journey too..... In witnessing her healing, I am experiencing my own." Jane has compiled some resources on her website Gifted by Grief.  I find it hard to describe the spiritual depths and inspiration I found in her book, so if you would like to know more, I suggest you explore there for yourself. I bought the book when it first came out a few weeks ago, and put it aside to read when the time was right. As some of you will know, two weeks ago my much loved feline companion Sparky died. He had gone missing for several days, then returned late one night with a badly broken leg. We took him straight to the vet and spent that night and the following day so happy that he was safe. Then came a call from the vet, first to discuss the surgery he needed, and then, very shortly afterwards, to tell us he had passed away under the anaesthetic even before the operation had begun. I have been deeply affected by this, it felt like a real, physical body blow to receive this news. Two days later, I woke with a clear vision of Sparky as a shooting star - off across the skies, with - as my husband wrote later that day on his stone in the garden - 'Things to do, places to go, on a mission." He was like a bright flash - the lightning flash that signifies high voltage electricity and is used as a symbol for an electrician, a 'sparky' by trade. He shone brightly in the fourteen months he was with us, bringing love, joy and laughter. So to read Jane's book helped me with a different sort of grief, not lesser, just different. And also to discover the gifts in the impact of Sparky's death on me as in any experience in life. Here he is causing chaos in my study, looking as if he is about to attempt to climb even higher:..... Dare to Blossom Art update Last month I mentioned that the printed art cards had arrived, they are now available to buy, singly or in a selection of your choice at a discount, from the Dare to Blossom Art FB page. If you prefer eBay, I currently have them listed, I hope this link will take you to the right place! If it does you will see 'The Tree', then to see the other cards you should be able to click on 'See other items' to the right of the page to view the other eight designs. I have ordered a selection of my photographic work too - scenes and flowers, which I hope will arrive very soon. Finally for now, a little later into the autumn I will be having an on-line sale of some of the original artworks mounted ready to frame. More news on that another time. As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts and comments.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page. Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this month and sharing my musings. Until next time, with love, Mary * find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.