May 21, 2007
May 21, 2007 Issue #40
Welcome to the newsletter where playing more and stressing less is taken seriously. It's written with the intention to support you in living a life with more passion and play and less worry and work.IN THIS ISSUE...
An Enchanted Evening
The Power of Health
Daily Painters
Wheel of Love
Cannon Beach-Bound
Travel-Crazy July
Not one, but two short, fun films
Ways to Play Today:
Host Your Own Enchanted Evening
A List of Love
Something to Ponder:
How does love show up in your life?
"Love seeks not limits but outlets."
~Anonymous
My Playground
The article, the message, the thing to make you go hmmm...
~An Enchanted Evening~
When I was on my honeymoon last October, I came across a book by Thomas Moore called "Re-enchantment for Everyday Living." Moore talks about the importance of rediscovering and recreating the things in our lives that bring us a sense of joy, wonder and delight. You know...the kind of things that came quite naturally to most of us as children like laughter, imagination and play. Back then, we didn't have to make time in our lives for these things, these things were our lives. I believe when we reconnect to that child-like place inside of us, the place where we never grow old, anything is possible.
It was easy to be enchanted by the beautiful islands of Greece. My husband and I felt like big kids in an adult Disneyland and we became quite skilled in the art of honeymooning. I wanted to find a way to bottle up and bring home all the delicious feelings we experienced while there and share them with others. Of course, the kind of souvenir I was looking for wasn't available in any of the shops along the cobblestone paths. It was Moore's book that inspired me to create my own takeaway (or perhaps I should say giveaway) and thus...Enchanted Evenings were born.
The adult Disneyland...otherwise known as Santorini, Greece.
A couple weekends ago, twenty-five of our friends came over for yummy food, tremendous tunes and interesting conversations. It may appear that all the usual elements of a cocktail party were present, but this was no ordinary Saturday night soiree. Yes, we cleaned our house in preparation for the party. Yes, we decorated and had fresh flowers displayed and candles aglow. And yes, we even got a bit dolled up and put on our party attire. But here's what really helped to make the evening an enchanted one. We had purposely asked our guests on their invitation to consider what they really love in their lives and to come prepared to answer that question. Not only did they write down their answers on a wall in our house, they shared stories with each other in a way that made this party planner proud. Our home resonated with those things I mentioned earlier; laughter, imagination and play. Needless to say, the Enchanted Evening was quite an outlet for the outpouring of love. Here are a few more...
Five Outlets for Love
1) Your family and friends
2) The things you like to do - your work, your hobbies, your skills.
3) Your personal belongings - your car, your pet, a stuffed animal, etc.
4) Otherworldly - faith, magic, synchronicity, possibility, etc.
5) Your life - anything and everything that makes it what it is.
What do you love and where and how often is that love expressed? Are you enchanted by the magic and beauty of your own life? I've seen what happens when a safe and welcoming space is created for others to express themselves in an authentic way. It's what I've come to realize is one of my outlets for love...creating ecstatic events and experiences for people. It's what I know so many people are hungry for. We are unlimited gifts to ourselves and to each other. Let that which you love find an outlet. May it inspire you and all those whose lives it will no doubt touch.
Personal Recommendations for books, music, websites and all resources fun!
The Power of Health
My friend, Dawn Sibilia is not only a kick-ass personal trainer, but she's a passionate soul who's been a committed volunteer throughout her life. She's put together a fundraiser for two organizations that she deeply cares about and would love to have you join her and several other folks on June 2nd for a 5k/10k walk/run in Portland, Oregon's Powell Butte Park. Dawn use to be a Peace Corp volunteer in West Africa many years ago and currently she works with Somali refuges in Portland once a week. This event will benefit the two small islands, Sao Tome and Principe which is where Dawn lived for two years, and it will also benefit the group of Somalis she works with now. For more information about the event and how to register, check out her website soon as the fundraiser is less than two weeks away. And if you're looking for a personal trainer, you have no need to look further. I promise she'll kick your ass in a very good way.
Daily Painters
This recommendation comes with a warning for art-acquiring folks. The subscription for the daily art display is free, but the paintings aren't so don't blame me if you go gaga over on E-bay and/or PayPal wants you to become their spokesperson. Seriously, some amazing art is exhibited everyday on this website and if you dare, you can subscribe and receive an email that showcases which painters painted what each day. There are 124 artists represented by this online consortium and each artist has a blog that gives you more information about him or her and their work. It's like going gallery hopping everyday without having to go anywhere. For art aficionados, let me just say this...I hope you have a lot of wall space in your home. Gallery hopping can easily turn into gallery shopping on this website.
Wheel of Love by New Concept
I've been a big fan of the internet radio station, Pandora and I recently came across this band while listening. Although the c.d. is seven years old, you'll be taken back to the mid-90's and to sounds that are reminiscent of Erasure or early Depeche Mode. Synth-pop would probably best describe this music, but I describe it as fun, upbeat and addictive. It doesn't take me all the way back to turned-up collars and big hair, but it gets close. Check them out on i-Tunes and then pay your $7.99. You'll be dancing in no time.
What's Up at Playful Spirit?
Goodbye Portland. Hello Cannon Beach! Last weekend, my husband and I sold our home in the city and by mid-summer we'll be full-time beach folk. We stuck a home-made sign and some flyers in our yard and an ad up on Craigslist and within five days, it was a done deal. The good news is we have plenty of time to pack and prepare for the move. The other good news is I'll soon be offering some new services in my home town so if you've wanted to escape to a beautiful place in the Pacific Northwest, stay tuned for details about a Beach Retreat you won't want to miss this fall.
On the technological front, I've made some changes to
my website
recently that reflect the new direction I'm taking my business in. More fun stuff is coming soon, but have yourself a look around and see the new content and photos I've added so far. The first thing you might notice is I've changed my business name a wee bit as it fits what I'm about to launch into. Wheeee!
On another computer-related note, it's a heavy learning curve for me when it comes to Wordpress and figuring out how to manipulate my book blog's template so it looks the way I want it to look. If you're skilled in the art of that blogging software, please contact me. I'd be happy to pay for a consultant who can guide me on what to do next. I promised in last month's newsletter that I would share the title of the book I'm writing. So even though the blog needs some cosmetic help and has yet to make its debut post, here it is...
Yummylicious.
I hope the title tantalizes you enough to make you want to know what it's about. Lighten Up readers will be the first to be in the know.
I have one more month of lying low and then my traveling schedule kicks into high-gear beginning June 27th with a trip to Japan for a friend's wedding. I'm home for a few days and then I'm off to play camp counselor for a week at a college here in Oregon. Home again for a few days and then it's to Taos, New Mexico I go where I'll be attending the same writing retreat I did last year. From there I fly straight to Seattle where I'll spend the weekend taking a course through Landmark Education. August will find me settling into my home at the beach and getting ready for all those fun things in the fall I made reference to earlier. I'm looking forward to my travels and all those amazing experiences and I'm also looking forward to returning home and reveling in the fact that the home I return to will be at the beach.
Giggles & Guffaws
An amusing story, joke, anecdote or picture to tickle your funnybone
The first link is to a sweet film about love. The second link will simply enchant you. Check out: Matchstick Love Enchanting Way to Make Music
Ways to Play Today
Why not...host your own Enchanted Evening?
I've given you a few details on how to host one already. Clean your house. Add some ambiance with flowers, candles and music. Dress up a bit. Invite your beautiful friends over. Have fun. All of that is certainly part of it, but what really makes an evening enchanted is WHY you're having the party in the first place. It's not to drink your week's worries away. It's to make toasts that celebrate the reasons why your guests were invited. It's not to meet new people and then quickly forget their name. It's to reconnect with those you know and meet strangers who you'll want to become friends with. It's not to check out the latest fashions everyone's wearing. It's to let down the masks so many of us wear and show up authentically. It's not to ask what people do for a living. It's to ask them what it is they do that makes them feel like they are living. This kind of party is one your guests won’t want to leave and will be talking about long after it ends.
Why not...write a list of everything you love about your life?
This is definitely something to do whenever you need a pick-me-up, but it's also a great list to look at everyday. Yes, we may have days that totally and utterly sucketh, but even during our darkest moments, recalling what it is we love about our lives will surely return a smile to our lips. It's not the length of your list that determines how much love you have in your life. It's how much of that yummy stuff you have to give and how much you're willing to receive back. Make that list today.
Something to Ponder
Questions designed to stimulate your thinking AND encourage you to take action towards what you want.
Do you ever put limits on your love?
Does your own life enchant you? Why or why not?
Care to share what these questions stir up in you?
Send me an e-mail.
I welcome your thoughts and will respond to all e-mails received.
If you want to find out more about the work I do as a facilitator, writer and inspirational speaker check out Playful Spirit Productions. Make sure you come back and visit every so often as you never know what kind of resources and fun stuff I'll be playing around with and adding to the website.
Thanks for reading this issue of Lighten Up! If you enjoyed it, please pass it along to your friends, your family, your co-workers...You get the idea. May you be enchanted by life and may your life enchant you. May there never be limits to the amount of love you give or receive.
See you on June 18th!
Lisa
~Playful Spirit Productions' mission is to inspire people to show up, be real and play big in life.~
lisa@playful-spirit.com www.playful-spirit.com