It's a Pondering Time

 

It's a pondering time in my world.  What about you?  There is SO much happening.  There are SO many distressing events.  There is SO little lack of consensus as to what needs to change.  It is heart wrenching.  It is stomach turning.  It is mind blowing.  And for the soul--it is time to come forth out of obscurity and shine some light into this world.  

Yes, this is deep time.  And deep time is Soul Time.  This is not a time to despair however.  It is a time to dig deep and to reach for the better part of us that we DO have.  The surface "Me" is not going to suffice.  Are you prepared to ponder?

Whatever your faith tradition or your belief system, or your nothing at all system, it might be a great time to ponder.  What in the world is happening?  Maybe we can forget the why part for now.  "What" might be a good start. It's pretty clear here in the United States that we are pretty divided in our opinions on our current situation.  And it's not just those we dislike that see things differently, it's our friends and our family.  Close to the bone you might say.  Which can make it even more painful.

One thing I consistently cling to is the realization that people I love and care about may see things very differently than me.  Because I love and care about them, it is important for me to listen deeply to what they say.  It may be that I can, at the very least, tap into the core of their understanding of events or issues.  I may still disagree but I don't demonize them or post things that would do so.

Naturally, I would hope they might return this favor.  Maybe that's why I post this today.  Perhaps, by reading this, a few more people will stop and ponder.  Where is the connection?  What might be the thread that runs through these times that can bring us back to a sense of common courtesy?   Is it important for me to stop before I post, to ponder and consider, to take a brief second and make sure I am not labeling others as the enemy, when it is very clear they are not.

This is a pondering time.  As we move forward every day to some new choice before us, or some decision we must make, I ask that we stop, consider that which we sign our name to, and move forward ONLY when we trust this is for our betterment, our personal and the collective good.  These simple steps can move us in the right direction.  No more demonizing others simply because their assessment of things is different from our own.  

NO, it doesn't mean to give up your cherished stance, but it may mean that you ponder another's.  If both people speak deeply and sincerely, without the need to be right or on top, there will be some, even if only a slight amount, of "give".  We may disagree on the big things but it seems to me that in the way  that we speak to each other there can be consensus.  And in that, perhaps we all find common ground.

It's my prayer we start today.  We can do this together.  Now.

In love,

Your Soul Catalyst, Verna

In These Times - A Fire Drill for the Soul

Well, here we are.  Nearing the end of another coronavirus month.  Who would have thought that coronavirus would become an adjective rather than just a noun?  Not me.  But today I realized that's how I was thinking these days.  There is nothing in my thinking, it seems, that isn't colored by this.  I sigh and imagine a time in the near future when I won't have to worry about it.  And I am sobered by the thought that this may not happen...especially in the near future.

So, given this, what do I have to share, what tools might help us through? What can Integrative Wisdom offer?

What I 'd like to share is the risk I took to add my voice to a video that was created by Andy Grammer for his performance on the July 4th CNN special.  If you haven't seen it yet, check it out here.  As I worked to uncover what I don't give up on, the underlying most important value was integrity.  And so, check out the clip to see what I wrote.  I still can't believe I was on TV...  🎯

But, really most importantly is the encouragement to show up as a positive presence in the lives of those you most care for and perhaps for the larger community as well.  We can learn to enter into dialogue, be respectful, disagree, but keep working to make things better.  That is true soul work, work we are here to do.

It's like this time we currently live in is giving us a run for our money.  It's like a fire drill for our soul and we have to determine what the steps are to keep that deepest, truest, most complete part of ourselves just that.  Pretending everything is ok is not the way to go.  Neither is giving up and throwing in the towel.  We are in this, hook, line, and sinker as the fisherpeople say...

With that in mind, 

What is your healing practice?  What are you doing to care for YOU?  Please don't ignore you.

I have been very busy building up a library of healing content.  A video a day, Monday through Friday.  They are all on my YouTube Channel here.  The latest: Today's Office View cause today as I write this, it's Monday!  Topics are as follows:

Monday: Today's office View

Tuesday: Integrative Wisdom

Wednesday: Soul Catalyst Card Deck Day

Thursday: Elders Who Care

Friday:  Recap Friday

I hope you will stop by and watch and feel inspired, empowered, encouraged, or just plain educated on some form or fashion of Integrative Wisdom.

There is one other story I'd like to share with you.  Those who know me, know I always tell the story of being such a shy child.  I have shared that I realize I am not really so shy anymore, but shyness and fear of being judged harshly is still in my DNA.  I just don't let it run me around anymore.  In that spirit, I'd like to share one of the braver things I did this month.

Better Times Will Come by Janis Ian

It was fun.  And I even got to message with Ms. Janis!  

Lastly, for this post, I can share that the guidebook to the cards has had its final approval!  Soon it will be all printed, bound, and delivered here to The Center of Creative Transformation.  Let me know how many copies you would like.  They will make great gifts for all those adults you most care for!

Don't worry if you aren't ready to order yet.  You know I will be sharing this amazing project often.

As I prepare to say good-bye for now, please take a moment to really stop and assess how you are doing.  Please take steps to practice self care as well as listen in to your soul.  Put some healing practices in place now.  

Remember Integrative Wisdom is here to help.  I am glad to say the Community of Care service is going well.  If you are interested, just gather a few of your closest friends or family members and give me a call.  It's an amazing deal.  $10 a person for that hour Zoom meeting as long as there are 4 participants registered.  

You can email me at vernalwhispers@msn.com too.

If you are ready for your own private healing session, you can email or go to the website and fill in the form.

www.integrativewisdom.org 

With great respect and love,

Your Soul Catalyst,

Verna

Recap Friday - Week of July 13-17

Integrative Wisdom Elders Who Care - Listen & Pay Attention

Soul Catalyst Card Deck Day - July 15

Integrative Wisdom - Fire Drill for the Soul Day

You've Got to Be Kidding

OMG.  There has to be a mistake somewhere.  It absolutely cannot be the next to the last day of June!  No.  Simply no way.  It's June 29th???  That is just crazy.  I feel like time is racing by.  And then, on the other hand, with the sameness of each social distancing day, it sometimes seems like time is standing still.  Maybe that's why I haven't written one blog entry this whole month.  Yikes!  So glad I got my act together before July hit.

Ok, got it together.  Now, what to write about?  What is there to say about our world today?  Not much going on, right?  OK, so I'm a joker.  We are living in epic times.  We are on the brink of great potential.  That, at least, is how I choose to see it.  Yes, so much has broken wide open, so much has fallen apart, and so much is changing.  But, when we look deeply, we see that things have been rotten, deeply rotten, for a very long time.  We, dear friends, have been living a bit of a lie.

I am reading this impossible book by one of my mentors, Stephen Jenkinson.  It's called Come of Age and it's a doozy.  Stephen is one of those writers that intrigues the imagination and calls the reader to dig deep.  I'm sure there are those who try to read his work and throw the book down, say a few choice words, and get on with their day.  Yes, he's that challenging.  But he has captured my heart and I am continuing to work to learn from him.  And he has a lot to say about the times we live in.  Here's a review.

One of the outcomes of reading this has been to change Integrative Wisdom Elder Care Coaching & Consulting to "Elders Who Care".  I am realizing I hope to be an elder when I grow old, not just grow old.  If you are interested in following along, you can join in the conversation on the FB page.  In times of great social upheaval, having wise leaders goes a long way in riding the waves of fear and emotional distress.  We seem to be in short supply of wise leaders these days.  Maybe you will want to work to be one.  Maybe you will want to be a voice to help as we navigate these rough waters, helping us get to the other side.

In my personal corner of the world, changes are coming to my neighborhood.  We live in a rural area and we have been spoiled by view like the one in the photo.  While I am aware we don't own the land that is currently being developed, I am also aware that I have an opinion about what is being torn down and what will be built up.  It's out of my hands to change what is happening.  What is in my power is how I will greet the change.  Of course the wisdom comes from knowing what we do have power over and then having the courage to act.  Yep, just like the Serenity Prayer! It is my humble opinion that these times are giving us lots of opportunities to flex our Wisdom Wings.

Ooh, Wisdom Wings.  I like it.  Never wrote those two words together before.  But I am running with it.  Dear Reader, let's try on a pair.  Let's take the wise road.  Let's soar together as we find ways to rebuild a nation that really lives its motto...cause we haven't yet.  But I have hope that we can.  With a new cadre of Elders Who Care, with the rising of our young who call us to be honest, to remove the blinders we've been wearing for hundreds of years, and by beating our Wisdom Wings, we got this!  Our future is bright.  And honest.  And it is time to come of age.  

In Service, 

Your Soul Catalyst Verna