September 24, 2007
September 24, 2007 Issue #43
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...
Pause for the Cause
Stardust
Even Johansen
Winter Beach Retreat
Reasons to Celebrate
Open Season
Ways to Play Today:
Make a Mess
Give Something Away
Something to Ponder:
What causes you to pause?
"To be near something beautiful or precious but to be unable to experience it is the subtlest possible form of torture."
~Robert Johnson
My Playground
The article, the message, the thing to make you go hmmm...
~Pause for the Cause~
Summer is coming to a rapid close here in the Pacific Northwest. Days are becoming shorter and the light shines a little bit less every 24 hours. I'll admit this is the time of the year when I get a bit greedy. I want more sunshine and more vacation time. I want to hear birds chirp at 4:30 a.m. and stay outdoors until 10:00 p.m. without having to put on a sweater. While some people love the cooler air and change of colors, there are those of us who find this time of the year challenging. As the weather begins to change, inevitably, we do too. We tend to slow down and stay indoors more. We tend to bundle up and settle in. It's not that summertime folks can't handle changing. We just tend to like life a little warmer and faster-paced.
So, for those of us who need a little encouragement as we ease into the fall season let me suggest we remember to 'pause for the cause'. What do I mean by that? First, consider the things in your life that are really important. Then give some thought to how much time you spent this summer engaged in or with those things. And now (without too much self-flagellation) think about what you might have missed. Personally speaking, there were a few things I let slip away while I played the past three months. Instead of dreading the dark months to come, perhaps now is the perfect time to pause for the causes in our lives that really matter.
My Five Causes for Pause
1) Sunrises and Sunsets
I had a magical and memorable experience when I visited Cabo San Lucas a few years back. I could begin and end my day with the sun in the ocean. From that place, one can witness the sun rising in the Sea of Cortez and setting in the Pacific. Whether or not I can physically see the sun, taking a moment in the morning before I begin my day and another one in the evening before I retire has become increasingly important. Giving thanks for the sun regardless of it being there gives me a sense of peace.
2) Synchroncities and Mysteries
So often we are eager to discount the subtle signs and messages that are given to us via Spirit. Any time I'm suddenly aware of something that wasn't there just a second ago (for example, I notice something in nature or hear a certain song playing on the radio) I pause to ponder what that might mean. It's hard to describe, but the feeling of being deeply connected to something much larger than myself tends to make me stop whatever I'm doing and take a time out.
3) Family and Friends
I am incredibly blessed to be part of a loving family and I have many fabulous friends. I often don't stay in touch as frequently as I'd like with some people I care about. I may think about them all the time, but I don't always make the effort to let them know. I think staying connected with the ones you love is a shared responsibility and honestly, I think I could probably do more do let others know they're on my mind and in my heart. I'm going to pause more often to write a letter or make a phone call.
4) Love and Lust
Pausing for passion never seems to be a problem for me. Love has been and always will be what makes my world go round. If there ever comes a time when I do not welcome love in, it's time for me to get off the planet.
5) Creative Ideas and Big Dreams
Day-dreaming and out-of-the-box thinking are two things I've never had a challenge with. I'm sure there are plenty of people who know me who wonder if I live on Cloud 9 rather than Earth sometimes. I'm learning not to worry so much about what others think. Nowadays, I tend to worry more about whether or not I'll be the cause of my dreams coming true. I know my life would be very different if I didn't dream as much as I do. I'll never stop taking time-outs for my ideas or stop talking with others about what I really want. Pausing for possibilities will always be my reality.
What are the five things in your life that give you ‘Pause for the Cause’? You know what they are for you. The question is...are you really paying attention to them? As the leaves begin to turn color and make their descent to the ground, may you welcome the changing of the season by embracing the changes you're making in your own life. I hope autumn will provide you with many opportunities to ponder what matters and cause you to pause plenty. Happy Falling!
Personal Recommendations for books, music, websites and all resources fun!
Stardust
I rarely read fiction and the last time I had a fantasy novel in hand was when I was in high school. So I was a bit surprised the other day when I bought the book, "Stardust" and began to consume it voraciously. I'm about halfway through and I'm trying my best to savor the story by reading just a chapter a night rather than racing through it in one day. It's a delightful tale of a young man who journeys to a faerie world in search of a fallen star which he's promised for his beloved. The language is lush especially if you read it out loud with an English accent. I haven't seen the movie yet (which was released in August and still might be playing some theatres) but I had tons of fun exploring the film's website. It's ethereal eye-candy and has a nice soundtrack playing in the background. I've heard mixed reviews of the movie, but the book is superb.
Even Johansen
I discovered Even Johansen aka Magnet on iTunes a few weeks back and I highly recommend you check out his music. I bought his "Quiet and Still" c.d. which is a series of sweet love songs. Dreamy-like vocals and a mellow acoustic guitar make for a relaxing hour of music. I'm trying to think of another musician to compare him to and I'm coming up empty. Johansen isn't as sexy as Chris Isaak, but there's something about his music that reminds me of that big-haired crooner. Check out a few of his tunes from his latest c.d. called "The Simple Life" on his myspace page and let me know if you like him and who you think he sounds like. He's from Norway and will be touring the States this fall. He's not coming to Portland so I sent him an email asking if he could create a gig in November while on his way to Seattle. Will let you know if I hear back from him.
What's Up at Playful Spirit?
I took time out this last week to celebrate my first wedding anniversary as well as enjoy the last few days of summer on the beach. My husband and I were married on September 17 and last Monday we chose to check out from our day-to-day responsibilities and check into a nice hotel here in Cannon Beach. That was a cause I was more than happy to pause for and which caused the delay of my newsletter by a week. I love being married and I love knowing I get to be with this man for the rest of my life.
I mentioned last month that a friend and I are creating a dance community here along the north Oregon coast. Our first three classes have been well-received and attended and we already have a brilliant name and tag line for our movement and retreat center. Even though neither of us know at this point how we'll finance this big vision of ours, we know it's what we're being called to create. The unknown freaks a lot of people out (myself included) but isn't that half the fun of figuring out how to do something? I suspect I'm going to become very close friends with mystery and synchronicity in regards to this dream.
After a summer full of travel, I'm settling in and staying put for awhile. There are plenty of projects I'll be taking on around the house as well as taking more of my book out of my head and onto paper. I'm not writing against a deadline except for the one that's always ticking...the life clock. Sometimes I feel as though I'm running out of time to write my book and while that's not necessarily true, it is true that I'm not getting any younger. I'll be 39 in three more months and getting that much closer to forty has got me itching to get my book out into the world.
I've still got a few goodies left to send to those women who might be interested in attending my next retreat in the New Year. 'Begin Again – A Weekend Sojourn by the Sea' is January 18-20 and will take place in Cannon Beach. Just twelve women will be attending this event which promises to be full of delightful and insightful activities, yummy meals and moments and sweet surprises. I've been asked a few times what the 'theme' of the retreat is. The truth is...there isn't one. It simply is an opportunity to take a personal time out and spend a weekend in a beautiful place with amazing women. We'll spend some time exploring what it means to 'be on retreat' as well as how we can 'begin again'. It's nothing heavy, but it is most definitely heart-centered. If you love the beach, meeting new people and ecstatic experiences, we should talk. There's information you can check out on my website, but an email exchange or a phone conversation will give you more of the details and answer any questions you may have. I hope to meet YOU in January.
Giggles & Guffaws
An amusing story, joke, anecdote or picture to tickle your funnybone
I just recently signed up for Netflix and discovered how you can quickly end up with a million films in your queue; watch the previews. Two minutes of cartoon-watching had me in stitches. If the movie is half as funny as this preview was, I'm sure to pee my pants laughing. Check out this funny trailer.
Ways to Play Today
Why not...make a mess?
Yes, you read that correctly. As kids, we probably had no problem leaving our stuff around the house and expecting someone else to pick it up. Depending on your parents' preferences, you may or may not have become adept at cleaning up your mess. I want to make sure you understand that I'm not encouraging you to create clutter in your life. Personally, I have enough crap crammed into boxes in the basement that I wouldn't dare suggest you start collecting stuff just so you could make a mess. What I'm suggesting is different. This will be especially fun for those of you who are organized neat-freaks and for those of us who are natural slobs, it'll be a new spin on non-neatness. Whether you're making chocolate chip cookies or cleaning out your closet, get into getting unreasonably untidy. Dare to be dirty by deliberately making as much of a mess as you can and relish the ridiculousness of being orderly. Just remember...whatever chaos you create is yours to clean up.
Why not...give something away today?
There's a good chance that you have a lot more stuff in your life than you need. You can think of this literally or figuratively, but your mission today is to surrender your stuff. What material goods or personal beliefs have worn out their welcome? What could you give away that's either taking up space on a shelf or in your head? Consider those things and then consider letting go of whatever it is that would lighten your load and cause you to lighten up.
Something to Ponder
Questions designed to stimulate your thinking AND encourage you to take action towards what you want.
When was the last time you took a time out and paused for a cause?
How would you benefit from pausing more often?
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 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 fall gently into the shorter, darker days of autumn and for those of you on the other side of the planet, may you leap lightly into spring. Take the time to pause, ponder and take pleasure in your causes.
See you on October 15th!
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