Welcome to the Dare to Blossom Newsletter
This is coming to you early this month, so you will have the chance to look at the Summer Special before all the places are taken.
In this Issue:
Summer Special Coaching Package
Reflections: Evolving
New writing: working title 'Rediscover your inner wisdom: a companion workbook for the Dare to Blossom Cards'
Events: Dare to Blossom Autumn Magic Carpet Ride Workshops
From 'on-line' to 'in person'
Guest Blog: 'The Willow's Raven'
Summer Special Coaching Package
I have put this at the top of this newsletter to make sure you see it in case it is of interest. You may already be aware of this as I wrote a blog post about it, entitled 'Curiosity'. The key details are below, the offer expires at the end of August, but as long as you book your place by then, you can use the sessions at any time.
This is coming to you early this month, so you will have the chance to look at the Summer Special before all the places are taken.
In this Issue:
Summer Special Coaching Package
Reflections: Evolving
New writing: working title 'Rediscover your inner wisdom: a companion workbook for the Dare to Blossom Cards'
Events: Dare to Blossom Autumn Magic Carpet Ride Workshops
From 'on-line' to 'in person'
Guest Blog: 'The Willow's Raven'
Summer Special Coaching Package
I have put this at the top of this newsletter to make sure you see it in case it is of interest. You may already be aware of this as I wrote a blog post about it, entitled 'Curiosity'. The key details are below, the offer expires at the end of August, but as long as you book your place by then, you can use the sessions at any time.
“If not
now, when?” coaching offer
A one-off
package of four 30 minute Skype 1:1 coaching calls, plus tailored exercises and
email support
PRICE:
£100 (ten places only available, during July/August)
Contact me direct to
book, or to arrange to have a Skype chat first so you can decide if this is for
you. At the time of writing, two places have already been taken up.
Reflections:
Evolving
So much has happened over the last month: I wrote a piece a while ago, to include here, and that has been superseded by events. Things feel as if they are moving too fast for me. In some ways that is great; at times I feel I need to take a step back, to consciously choose to step aside from the fast flow. I feel as if I could lose my footing and be swept away.
One thing I can do for myself is to return to a practice I started in 2013, the year I challenged myself to write a blog about one Dare to Blossom Card each week. It took a whole year to cover the fifty cards. (Those thoughts are still available here if you are interested, you will need to dive down into the archive files as the first entry was on 2 May that year).
The practice of sitting with a card for a longer period of time than just one day proved fruitful. As this is a monthly newsletter, this will be a card for the month. For now at least, I will continue with the daily card postings on the Dare to Blossom Life Coaching Facebook page, it will be interesting to see how these two practices intermesh with each other. And it may be interesting to return to this at the end of the month and write about how I feel about the word then.
So, the word that came out for August 2016 is - Evolving, with a dark green coloured background.
So much has happened over the last month: I wrote a piece a while ago, to include here, and that has been superseded by events. Things feel as if they are moving too fast for me. In some ways that is great; at times I feel I need to take a step back, to consciously choose to step aside from the fast flow. I feel as if I could lose my footing and be swept away.
One thing I can do for myself is to return to a practice I started in 2013, the year I challenged myself to write a blog about one Dare to Blossom Card each week. It took a whole year to cover the fifty cards. (Those thoughts are still available here if you are interested, you will need to dive down into the archive files as the first entry was on 2 May that year).
The practice of sitting with a card for a longer period of time than just one day proved fruitful. As this is a monthly newsletter, this will be a card for the month. For now at least, I will continue with the daily card postings on the Dare to Blossom Life Coaching Facebook page, it will be interesting to see how these two practices intermesh with each other. And it may be interesting to return to this at the end of the month and write about how I feel about the word then.
So, the word that came out for August 2016 is - Evolving, with a dark green coloured background.
As often with these words, I smiled when this came out - having just been writing above about the pace of change. The Cambridge Dictionary on-line, defines 'Evolve' as: "to develop gradually, or to cause something or someone to develop gradually." In the context of the evolution of species, of course this is a very gradual process.
In my life at the moment, things seem to be changing very rapidly. At the same time, and rather ironically, when I have a review session with one of my own coaches, I often find myself feeling that I am 'stuck' or repeating words, actions and behaviours, over and over.
And now I find myself wondering as I write, where this is leading me, what use these words will be to you if you read them. Then the thought comes, maybe the key is 'review': when I remember to step back; to pause and observe myself; to see those words, actions and behaviours - that is when I am open to insights for myself. That is when I can see that although some things may not have changed, in fact they have moved on. Upwards in a spiral, where I may be revisiting familiar ground, but I can choose to take a view from another perspective.
I was going to write 'a higher perspective' then, but changed it as I don't want to imply - to myself or to you - that this alternative perspective, later in a time-line, is 'higher' meaning 'better'. As if what I was doing before was 'lower' as in 'worse'. The process of life coaching that I use and practice for myself too, has 'non-judgemental' as one of the core principles. 'Better' or 'worse' are value judgements which may change between people, and for the same person at different times.
Hmmm.... (says my inner critic) .. that was a rather convoluted explanation, though one I hope is helpful. (If not, I know you will simply skip over it, dear reader.)
I will leave you to explore more with the prompts below if you wish.
For you, for your journal or meditation practice:
- What does the word
'evolving' bring to mind for you?
- What else is there? (maybe ask yourself that question more than once)
- Does the colour green have any specific associations for you today?
If you would like to, come back to these questions after a week or several and see if your responses change.
New writing: working title 'Rediscover your inner wisdom: a companion workbook for the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards'
This book is, at last, starting to take shape. As you will know if you are a regular reader, I have always felt I did not wish to write any sort of guide to the interpretation of the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery cards. The principle is that they help you rediscover your own inner wisdom, so it is not for me or anyone else to tell you what to think. As I know from using them daily myself, the meaning I take from any particular card, and from the colour, changes from day to day.
However, many of you have told me that it would be helpful to have some idea where to start, whether with a regular practice, or simply dipping in occasionally. So - deciding that this is the year to make this happen and get the book published, I have enrolled in the '10,000 word challenge' - which is also an on-line course, with Karen Williams starting on 1st August. I have known Karen for a number of years and feel her skills will keep me on track, as will sharing in a private group. In a beautiful piece of synchronicity, I had already been thinking of devoting August to writing in more depth than I do here or on Facebook - and then her offering appeared for me, perfect timing.
A request for you
I would like to invite any of you who have your own pack of cards, or who gain some inspiration from reading my newsletters and/or Facebook posts - to send me in a submission for the book. The vision is to have a quote for each card, just a few words to inspire others. I will be very grateful to any of you who would like to contact me to offer your experiences. Any other suggestions or feedback will be very welcome as always, thank you in advance.
The cards and the book will be sold either together or separately. The book will not be in colour but there will be a description for each card so the book can be used to open at a random page in exactly the same way as choosing a card. Or, as some people do, you may wish to choose a word consciously to work with - and that may be easier with the book. As many people tell me, the cards are easy to carry with you during the day - the book could become an additional resource for deeper reflection, and as a guide when you may be unsure of an approach to take.
Some people told me that being presented with the little pack of words with very little in the way of instruction can be daunting. This has always been my intention - not to be 'daunting' exactly, but to challenge you (and myself) to access your resources within; not to rely on other people, however wise, knowledgable and well-meaning they may be. However, having some examples of how other people have used them, will enable a start to be made if someone is uncertain. In a similar way to how it is easy to forget how difficult it was learning to drive (though I do remember not being able to steer and change gear at the same time...) - those of us who have experience of the use of any sort of prompts, such as these cards, for introspection, may forget our rather wobbly first steps.
Please contact me if you have any thoughts on this at all, or any experiences you would like to share
And finally, I will say that there is still another book that has been germinating for a very long time, and I feel that 'clearing the way' by completing the book for the cards will help that other piece blossom in due course.
Events: Dare to Blossom Autumn Magic Carpet Ride Workshops - Reap your harvest
- Saturday 10 September, at The Clease Hall, Camelford
- Saturday 24 September, at the Heliodor Wellbeing Centre, Hayle
Both will run from 10-1 as usual, Early Bird Price (ending for both on 31 August) is £25 per person, £35 after that.
The details are now available on the website, and bookings starting to come in. If you prefer not to use the PayPal link there, please contact me direct to arrange another method of payment.
I am hoping to add a date in the St Austell area too, probably in October. As I write, I am still exploring potential venues, so if you are in that area and can suggest somewhere, or would like to host a workshop in your home, please get in touch.
Sadly the date previously announced, Saturday 19 November, for a second workshop at the Heliodor Wellbeing Centre, has been cancelled as Val has decided to close the centre for various reasons. Those of you who have joined me there will know what a beautiful place it has been for sharing time together. I am very grateful for the environment Val created and the way she looked after us with so much love and care, I am sure you will join me in wishing her all the best for the future - and I hope, take this last chance to join us again on 24 September. I will of course be looking for other venues in that area.
Here is an extract from the workshop description:
- What else is there? (maybe ask yourself that question more than once)
- Does the colour green have any specific associations for you today?
If you would like to, come back to these questions after a week or several and see if your responses change.
New writing: working title 'Rediscover your inner wisdom: a companion workbook for the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards'
This book is, at last, starting to take shape. As you will know if you are a regular reader, I have always felt I did not wish to write any sort of guide to the interpretation of the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery cards. The principle is that they help you rediscover your own inner wisdom, so it is not for me or anyone else to tell you what to think. As I know from using them daily myself, the meaning I take from any particular card, and from the colour, changes from day to day.
However, many of you have told me that it would be helpful to have some idea where to start, whether with a regular practice, or simply dipping in occasionally. So - deciding that this is the year to make this happen and get the book published, I have enrolled in the '10,000 word challenge' - which is also an on-line course, with Karen Williams starting on 1st August. I have known Karen for a number of years and feel her skills will keep me on track, as will sharing in a private group. In a beautiful piece of synchronicity, I had already been thinking of devoting August to writing in more depth than I do here or on Facebook - and then her offering appeared for me, perfect timing.
A request for you
I would like to invite any of you who have your own pack of cards, or who gain some inspiration from reading my newsletters and/or Facebook posts - to send me in a submission for the book. The vision is to have a quote for each card, just a few words to inspire others. I will be very grateful to any of you who would like to contact me to offer your experiences. Any other suggestions or feedback will be very welcome as always, thank you in advance.
The cards and the book will be sold either together or separately. The book will not be in colour but there will be a description for each card so the book can be used to open at a random page in exactly the same way as choosing a card. Or, as some people do, you may wish to choose a word consciously to work with - and that may be easier with the book. As many people tell me, the cards are easy to carry with you during the day - the book could become an additional resource for deeper reflection, and as a guide when you may be unsure of an approach to take.
Some people told me that being presented with the little pack of words with very little in the way of instruction can be daunting. This has always been my intention - not to be 'daunting' exactly, but to challenge you (and myself) to access your resources within; not to rely on other people, however wise, knowledgable and well-meaning they may be. However, having some examples of how other people have used them, will enable a start to be made if someone is uncertain. In a similar way to how it is easy to forget how difficult it was learning to drive (though I do remember not being able to steer and change gear at the same time...) - those of us who have experience of the use of any sort of prompts, such as these cards, for introspection, may forget our rather wobbly first steps.
Please contact me if you have any thoughts on this at all, or any experiences you would like to share
And finally, I will say that there is still another book that has been germinating for a very long time, and I feel that 'clearing the way' by completing the book for the cards will help that other piece blossom in due course.
Events: Dare to Blossom Autumn Magic Carpet Ride Workshops - Reap your harvest
- Saturday 10 September, at The Clease Hall, Camelford
- Saturday 24 September, at the Heliodor Wellbeing Centre, Hayle
Both will run from 10-1 as usual, Early Bird Price (ending for both on 31 August) is £25 per person, £35 after that.
The details are now available on the website, and bookings starting to come in. If you prefer not to use the PayPal link there, please contact me direct to arrange another method of payment.
I am hoping to add a date in the St Austell area too, probably in October. As I write, I am still exploring potential venues, so if you are in that area and can suggest somewhere, or would like to host a workshop in your home, please get in touch.
Sadly the date previously announced, Saturday 19 November, for a second workshop at the Heliodor Wellbeing Centre, has been cancelled as Val has decided to close the centre for various reasons. Those of you who have joined me there will know what a beautiful place it has been for sharing time together. I am very grateful for the environment Val created and the way she looked after us with so much love and care, I am sure you will join me in wishing her all the best for the future - and I hope, take this last chance to join us again on 24 September. I will of course be looking for other venues in that area.
Here is an extract from the workshop description:
Throughout the year you have been sowing seeds - ideas, projects,
dreams, ambitions - and nurturing them as best you can. Throughout your life
this has also been happening. As the seasons turn in nature, so do the seasons
of our lives - irrespective of your age as measured in years.
Sometimes you may
be too busy with the next thing to do your seeds justice; may be some of them,
as in nature, were never destined to germinate.
Step back and
take some time, now, with us in our group for half a day. Take time to notice -
and harvest if you so choose - the fruits all around you, the results of your
ideas and your work.
The tried and
tested Dare to Blossom Magic Carpet Ride concept has, for over a year now, been
sparking the imagination; opening eyes to the new; developing business ideas
and creative projects. Read more here on the website...
From 'on-line' to 'in person'
I have recently had the enormous pleasure of meeting two people in person who I first met on-line.
Rosemary, who lives in Australia, has been a subscriber for many years. She also has given me thoughtful feedback and suggestions over those years, which has been a great support to me. So when the opportunity came to meet up while she was touring in the UK, I was so delighted. We shared good conversation over coffee (and cake) at one of my favourite cafes in Padstow (Greens, owned by Sharon (and her husband) who I again met on-line, and who has since become a dear friend). Followed by a walk around the old streets of Padstow (and more talk, naturally).
Then, even more recently, I was contacted by Ellouise, a fellow contributor to '365 Moments of Grace', who was on holiday in Cornwall, and we met for lunch in Truro. Again, a contact that originated on-line, brought into the greater reality by meeting up and sharing hugs.
Guest blog: 'The Willow's Raven'
By my friend in the USA, Sheila Howe If anyone reading would like me to feature your blog, do let me know and send a link for me.
As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts and comments.
If you would like to own a set of Dare to Blossom Rediscovery 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, @daretoblossom on Twitter
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