Wild Woman

 

Wild Woman
She lives within me
this heathen of long ago-
bare feet tramping the lush forest floor of my mind
eyes darting, ever aware
as she hunts, gathers, communes-
her tree gods all around.

She breathes within
hearing nature’s call
in the sweetness of the night air
the heady scent of the bush park
and the cockatoos in the trees
just up the road
from my tarmac and tile life.

And every now and then
this wild child
who longs for her village
her clean earth
her crystal streams-
is set free.

Upon a wave she rides
or amongst the scattered leaves, sits
in a moonlit moment
or tends the soil with her bare hands
solitary
bless-ed
loving the earth and its comfort
more than her own life.

The wild memories of long ago
the rituals and spirit songs
often spill free upon her voice
and clumsy guitar accompaniment,
or during a yogic moment,
or upon a dance-floor
in ecstatic release.

She is real
this wild woman-
she walks amongst us all
and she reminds us of the places
that we need to be-
of the places
that we need to treasure.

Above all, she reminds us
to be free.

- By Jennifer Cooper

The Soul of A Garden

It’s been an interesting few weeks.  ”Full tilt” as they say.

My house has been “spring cleaned,” my deck looks like a paradise, and I’ve been gardening for the first time in my life.

Deliberately planting, nurturing and pruning flowers, bushes, and tree’s in my yard.  I feel like I understand this practice of gardening- it’s such a lovely experience to watch an “intention” grow to fruition.

Another metaphor in my life- yes?

I am noticing all kinds of positive shifts in my life now, and I think they are happening finally because of all the “digging” i’ve been doing these past few years.  For every turn there is a season, and yada yada – I know I know… so queer, and yet, that is where I am.  Finally smelling the flowers. Finally planting the seed’s for tomorrow’s garden. Finally pruning and dead heading the stuff that is no longer serving me.

Other shifts include other women of course:  working with some amazing career women, coaching them toward brand identify.  I love this work so much because it gives me great joy to lead others toward discovery.  I love the process when they arrive at their own answers and see their own vision, and gain clarity and confidence and strength. Have I mentioned how much I love working with women? Amazing creatures we are. We are so very gifted as a species- yes?  Our innate wisdom, ability to create, multi-task, gather, share, and inspire others is an ability we all hold as women.  It’s about finding the places that “stop us” from living our most authentic self.  In life and in business.

Although I have not been writing much, I’ve sure been observing and thinking a lot.

The project (always) stretches me to look at things differently and for each woman who participates she gives me a new way of looking at things.  She brings me perspective, insights, and courage.  I see each one of the women who put themselves into this work as partners  in discovery.  They teach me so very much about how valuable it is to step outside of our comfort zone to explore things not yet known to ourselves.  Their willingness to be open, vulnerable, and exposed to the audience we have cultivated is beyond inspiring and I know that each one of them has made a positive difference in the lives of many others who have touched them through the context of this project.

Perhaps my interest in gardening now comes from wanting to keep bringing beauty into my world – I see that it’s possible.  I see that when you intentionally partner with others to create something wonderful, that almost anything can happen.

Each aspect of our lives as women needs care and watering.  Is there an area of your life that you need to stop ignoring and start to make a tiny change?  Is there an un-cultivated garden somewhere in your yard, your business, your soul?

I hope you’ll join us when the time is right for you.  xo

 

 

TIME: "Are You Mom Enough?".....what????

Reblogged from Mommy OM:

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Blogger Jamie Lynne Grumet is on the cover of TIME magazine this week nursing her three-year-old son.  The cover is bold.  It came out this morning and Facebook and Twitter and every and all major media outlets are overflowing with comments.  Some positive, some negative, and some downright awful and offensive.

The article in this issue is about parenting guru Dr.

Read more… 291 more words

GRRRR.

10 Ways to Enjoy Life More Right Now

 

If you can’t change a problem, move on.Thou shall not stew.

Stop getting stuck in your story about woulda. coulda. shoulda. and get on with doing what you love to do.

Surround yourself with loving, low-maintenance people who increase your vitality instead of rob it.

Remember that aging is part of the wondrous cycle of life. It is normal and it is what is suppose to happen, just like getting our baby teeth.

Take care of that pesky task that has been hanging over your head for way too long. It won’t take nearly as long as you think it will.

Have an orgasm.

Did I just say that?

Stop worrying about what other people think. It’s your life.

Don’t forget that human’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. Acknowledge someone.

Get over your fear. Fear is normal, so embrace it and then you’ll get past it.

Take care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. Be your own best friend. It is the foundation for a good long life.

Photo by Jef Bettens, Limburg, Belgium

By Louise of Lines of Beauty.

Gloriousness and Wretchedness

“Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that’s all that’s happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others, and there is a sense of making ourselves a big deal and being really serious about it, wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. On the other hand, wretchedness–life’s painful aspect–softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person. When you are feeling a lot of grief, you can look right into somebody’s eyes because you feel you haven’t got anything to lose–you’re just there. The wretchedness humbles us and softens us, but if we were only wretched, we would all just go down the tubes. We’d be so depressed, discouraged, and hopeless that we wouldn’t have enough energy to eat an apple. Gloriousness and wretchedness need each other. One inspires us, the other softens us. They go together.”
― Pema ChödrönStart Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living

The older I become, the more contradictory and amazing life becomes.  Sometimes I take for granted how much I have suffered to know what it is to thrive, how much I have hated to know love, how much I have opened to know closed.

I am the light. I am the dark.

Perfectly Imperfect.

The push pull of life is such an extraordinary experience.

Thank you God.