Virginia Woolf On Inner Lives

I like it that Virginia Woolf and I share a last name and spelling. I don’t know of any relationship via lineage. But I’m content to feel that little spark of joy.

She lived in the late 1800s through mid 1900s. English. I like it that she was known in her writing for developing the inner lives of her characters.

I so relate — in Wander School and in Becoming & Belonging. That’s crafting ways to explore more of the inner life connected to the outer life.

Earlier this week I found a few pieces written by Woolf (from the Marginalian). I took a few chunks of that writing to invite reflection in a Men’s Group.

For inspiration. And some attention to the inner life.

“Beyond the difficulty of communicating oneself,
there is the supreme difficulty of being oneself.
This soul, or life within us, by no means agrees 
with the life outside us.”

“The man who is aware of himself is henceforth independent; 
and he is never bored, 
and life is only too short, 
and he is steeped through and through with a profound yet temperate happiness.
He alone lives, while other people, slaves of ceremony, let life slip past them in a kind of dream.”

“Let us simmer over our incalculable cauldron,
our enthrallling confusion, our hotch-potch of impulses, our perpetual miracle —
for the soul throws up wonders every second. 
Movement and change are the essence of our being;
rigidity is death; conformity is death;
let us say what comes into our heads, repeat ourselves, contradict ourselves,
fling out the wildest nonsense, 
and follow the most fantastic fancies without caring what the world does or think or says.”

Flow Game Cards & Clarity

I host Flow Game to bring clarity. For myself. For others. All of us, giving it a go together.

I host Flow Game because it creates bridging what is inner with what is outer. Inner longing, passion, wonder. Inner worry, consternation, struggle. With outer circumstance, projects, deadlines, happenings, family, community, teams.

I host Flow Game because it honors a dear friend, Toke. To celebrate his contributions to Flow Game. Which is to say, his contributions to a joyful and potent inquiry.

Yesterday’s Flow Game Cards — there were three that guided. Perhaps they can inspire you too, as you think about a current situation important to you.

Earth — Tell one story from your roots. Why is this story rising now?
North — What inspires your courage?
Earth — When are you able to hear what nature is whispering to you?

These Flow Game cards led me to a story of my grandparents. And then, how much I appreciate supportive people in their artistry, creativity, and wonder. And then, that extra moment yesterday, sitting on our front porch watching birds come and go from our bird feeder.

I host Flow Game, to add to a sense of well-being, to nuance understanding, and to feel joy and insight.

For clarity of all that.

Light Moves

Dana and I enjoyed a few days in New Mexico last week. With family, her sibs. Meals. Hikes. Games. Conversations. I’m glad for a weaving together of life laughter and joy and beauty.

Often for me, it’s moments of light that most remain in me. That move some inner light. And joy. And beauty.

This Hollyhock against the Adobe brown and red of our abode, swaying in a setting sun.
This trail at Bandelier National Monument, waking a morning of wonder amidst cave dwellings of old.
This Angel Trumpet so unabashed and unshy doing what it does neighboring our trail.

Yes, light moves. In the outer. And out of the inner. Here’s to the sway. The morning wonder. The unshy neighboring.

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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