A Few Phrases Lately That Move Me (And Excite the Bejeebers Out of Me)

On a recorded interview for Healing Circles, Christina a Baldwin and Ann Linnea are sharing reflections and stories. The interviewer (and Co-Director, Healing Circles Global) Diana Lindsay asks Christina and Ann to talk the relationship between circle, language, and story. I’ve known Christina as friend, mentor, elder, colleague for 20+ years now. She has a gift in metaphoric imagery. She says, “If language were a human body, story would be the spinal chord.”

Yah, that’s a zinger.

Because, I so relate to so much of the work that I do with teams and groups as being connecting in our stories. It’s saying hello, over and over again. It’s coming to love and contribute to relationships, over and over again. It’s paying attention to what changes, inner and outer, over and over again. The vitalness of spinal cord in groups — invitations and contexts to share and wonder together on arising meaning and purpose. Yup, yup.

Shifting — Last week I participated in a call with several authors and contributors of the Change Library (my contribution was a co-authored piece with Chris Corrigan on The Art of Hosting). One of the leaders of that group, Dave Fearon, invited us each to speak to our “callings” as writers. Fun invitation. I spoke of my need to write as a way learning and being present, particularly through poetry.

But here’s the few phrases that emerged out of it all. “For those of us called to write, when we say yes to that nudge, we write, but also, the words write us.” Oh, so sweet. I known this feeling well. And then, couldn’t help myself…, I stretched that to, “For those of us called to offer artistry, when we say yes to that nudge, “we art,” but also, “are arted.” What a thing to give to such flow.

Zinger.

Last phrase for today. A man was sharing a simple view of life phases. He said, the first stage(s) are about acquiring information, and knowledge, and skills. And then, with age, comes the time for distilling and sharing.” It was lovely to hear. I know it was spoken genuinely. As before, I couldn’t help but belly check another layer of that, beyond acquiring and sharing. For some, with deep love of life, be become that wisdom (think Matrix and Neo becoming the Matrix), we just live the imprint, we live the energy. We are it.

OK, phrases, a few of them. Lately. They move me. They remind me of these essential practices of being — sharing and hearing story, being moved and changed by life that wants to flow with and through us, and becoming, as is so much the programming that I wish to offer, more aware and awake, inner and outer, now, and into the longer arc.

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Gifts of Circle - Question Cardsasd
Gifts of Circle is 30 short essays divided into 4 sections: 1) Circle's Bigger Purpose, 2) Circle's Practice, 3) Circle's First Requirements, and 4) Circle's Possibility for Men. From the Introduction: "Circle is what I turn to in the most comprehensive stories I know -- the stories of human beings trying to be kind and aware together, trying to make a difference in varied causes for which we need to go well together. Circle is also what I turn to in the most immediate needs that live right in front of me and in front of most of us -- sharing dreams and difficulties, exploring conflicts and coherences. Circle is what I turn to. Circle is what turns us to each other."

Question Cards is an accompanying tool to Gifts of Circle. Each card (34) offers a quote from the corresponding chapter in the book, followed by sample questions to grow your Circle hosting skills and to create connection, courage, and compassionate action among groups you host in Circle.

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In My Nature
is a collection of 10 poems. From A Note of Beginning: "This collection of poems arises from the many conversations I've been having about nature. Nature as guide. Nature as wild. Nature as organized. I remain a human being that so appreciates a curious nature in people. That so appreciates questions that pick fruit from inner being, that gather insights and intuitions to a basket, and then brings the to table to be enjoyed and shared over the next week."

This set of Note Cards (8 cards + envelopes)  quotes a few favorite passages from poems in In My Nature. I offer them as inspiration. And leave room for you to write personal notes.

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Most Mornings is a collection of 37 poems. I loved writing them. From the introduction: "This collection of poems comes from some of my sense-making that so often happens in the morning, nurtured by overnight sleep. The poems sample practices. They sample learnings. They sample insights and discoveries. They sample dilemmas and concerns."

This set of Note Cards (8 cards + envelopes)  quotes a few favorite passages from poems in Most Mornings. I offer them as inspiration. And leave room for you to write personal notes.

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