Posted on by Tenneson Woolf

Whatever Scale, It’s There

I’m drawn to scale. The things and people beautiful and attractive that are close in. The things and people beautiful and attractive that are far away. I’m drawn to how the near invites the far and how the far invites the near. I’m drawn to the aliveness that lives in all of that. There is some important principle and practice for living in all of that — welcome the near to meet the far and vice versa. Wander a bit. Notice. Be lived.

Over the last week, Dana and I took many pictures in our week of wander in the Pacific Northwest. Port Townsend. Anacortes. Friday Harbor. Bellingham. Things near and things far. Life near and life far.

I love this principle and practice when in travel and vacation mode. I love this principle when in facilitation mode, running programs. When, as many of us do, we invite humans to explore humanness. I love watching myself and others come alive, welcoming life to claim us once again, pointing out the near and the far.

This morning I asked AI to offer a poem about such things (actually, it asked me if I wanted it). Here’s what I got:

THE
CENTER
HOLDS

What if today
were not about solving,
but about staying close to
what matters most?

What if presence —
gently offered, quietly held —
were enough to move something
essential in you,
in me,
in others?

Let the swirl come.
Let the center hold.

So, here’s to that kind of aliveness. And pause. And vision. And permission to scale small or big, in the beauty and the attraction.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Proudly powered by WordPress

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.

This will close in 60 seconds

asd
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.

This will close in 60 seconds

asd
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.

This will close in 60 seconds