Posted on by Tenneson Woolf

I Love a Big Sky

Utah Lake. Wasatch Mountains. Instructions for living. Go slow. Be centered. Start with joy.

I love a big sky. I also love high-rising mountains. Up close and in the distance. I love a watershed.

Big skies and mountains and watersheds, like this above taken recently near my home — well these inspire.

They calibrate. They offer perspective.

The perspective that I’ve been seeking lately (and that has been seeking me) is three things. I think of them as instructions for living. As values to embody. As frequencies with which to contribute.

  1. Go slow — Much of the world is frenetic. It moves quickly. I like the feeling, sometimes. I don’t like being stuck in it. The world needs ability to also go slow. To pace. To be thorough. To be celebratory of the moment. To bring dignity that doesn’t come from the paradigm of the instant and the microwave.
  2. Be centered — Much of the world is scattered. It gets busy. Yet so often, distant from a deeper purpose. I like experimenting. I hold “experimenting” as one of my gifts. One of my “can’t not do’s.” It matters to remember the more purposed story together. What are we doing, really? What do we care about together, really? What undeniably centers us?
  3. Start With Joy — It’s so often the smart start. Joy leads. It animates. It calibrates. It shifts energy. Joy clarifies the next step. Joy aligns. Joy guides. Joy resets.

I love a big sky. And mountains. And watersheds. I love instructions for living that have a way of clarifying so much of the picture.

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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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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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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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