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คอลัมน์ “สดแต่เช้า”ปีที่4 (131) แม่:สิ่งมีชีวิตที่สุดแสนมหัศจรรย์! “เมื่อผู้หญิงจะคลอดบุตร นางก็มีแต่ความทุกข์เพราะถึงกำหนด แต่เมื่อคลอดบุตรแล้ว นางก็ไม่คิดถึงความเจ็บปวดนั้นเลย เพราะมีความชื่นชมยินดีที่คนหนึ่งเกิดมาในโลก” ~ยอห์น 16:21 THSV11 “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” ~John 16:21 NIV “ แม่ ” เป็นสิ่งมีชีวิตที่แข็งแกร่งที่สุดในโลก! แม่สามารถทนต่อความเจ็บปวดรวดร้าวอย่างยาวนาน ที่แทบเป็นไปไม่ได้เลย เพียงเพื่อจะให้มีชีวิตใหม่เกิดขึ้นมาผ่านตัวแม่ และแม่มีความยินดียิ่งเมื่อแม่ได้เห็นลูกของแม่เกิดมา! Marion C. Garretty จึงกล่าวว่า “ความรักของแม่ เป็นดุจเชื้อเพลิงที่ทำให้มนุษย์ธรรมดา สามารถทำในสิ่งที่เป็นไปไม่ได้!” (Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.) แม่จึงเป็นบุคคลที่มักทำสิ่งที่เป็นไปไม่ได้ ให้เกิดขึ้นได้เสมอมา โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่ง ในยามที่แม่ทำเพื่อลูกของแม่ ดังที่ปรากฏให้เห็นมาตลอดประวัติศาสตร์ของมวลมนุษยชาติ! แม่เป็นสุดยอดมนุษย์ผู้เสียสละ! เหมือนกับที่ Tenneva Jordan กล่าวว่า “ แม่คือบุคคลที่เวลาเห็นมีขนมพายอยู่เพียงสี่ชิ้นต่อหน้าคนห้าคน(ในบ้าน) แม่จะรีบชิงประกาศว่าแม่ไม่ชอบกินขนมพาย!” (A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.) แม่ยัง เป็นสุดยอดซุปเปอร์ฮีโร่ ที่ยากจะมีใครเทียบเทียบได้ เหมือนที่ Cardinal Mermillod กล่าวเอาไว้ว่า แม่คือผู้หญิงที่สามารถแทนที่ของคนทั้งปวงได้ แต่ไม่มีใครสักคนหนึ่ง ที่สามารถแทนที่ของแม่ได้!“ (A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.) ด้วยเหตุนี้ Kahil Gibran จึงกล่าวว่า “แม่ คือ คำที่ไพเราะมากที่สุด ที่ริมฝีปากของมวลมนุษยชาติ!” (Mother: the most beautiful word on the lips of mankind.) ไม่ทราบว่า พี่น้องที่รัก …เห็นด้วยไหมครับ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ธงชัย ประดับชนานุรัตน์9สิงหาคม 2024 #YoutubeCJCONNECT #thongchaibsc#คริสตจักรแห่งความรัก #churchoflove #ShareTheLoveForward #ChurchOfJoy #คริสตจักรแห่งความสุข #NimitmaiChristianChurch #คริสตจักรนิมิตใหม่ #ฮักกัยประเทศไทย #อัลฟ่า #หนึ่งล้านความดี
"...See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life—while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness...."This week, I am reading the poem On Giving by Kahil Gibran. Published in 1923.Reflection question:How are you rising together with the giver, whatever their motivation?To explore more: the poems of Kahil Gabran.This poem has entered the public domain.To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.Music credit: Woeisuhmebop
Nicola May is a romcom superstar and the author of 16 romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle Bestseller Chart. Two of them won awards at the Festival of Romance and another was named eBook of the week in The Sun. The Cornershop in Cockleberry Bay became the bestselling Kindle book in the UK across all genres in January 2019 and was Amazon's third best selling novel in that year. Nicola campaigned successfully for the introduction of eBook charts in the publishing trade press and was described by Winifred Robinson of BBC Radio 4's You and Yours as "the invisible bestselling author". And why is that? It's because Nicola is fabulously self-published. Nicola's Book ChoicesBridget Jones's Diary by Helen FieldingThe Prophet by Kahil Gibran The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde PilcherOther Books MentionedNicola's Books Mentioned:The Cornershop In Cockleberry BayThe Hub Star Fish (dating the 12 signs of the Zodiac)Love Me TinderHead to nicolamay.com to find out more about her booksListener of the week (our very own producer Jeremy Chapman!)Why We Kneel, How We Rise by Michael HoldingJulia's Book Shooters (third week since launch)Don't forget you can still order Julia's romcom Shooters on Amazon here. Help keep it high in the charts! No pun this time.Julia on InstagramJulia on TikTokKeep in touchWe love our listeners, and we want to hear from you. Please leave a review on one of our podcast platforms and chat with us on social media:Twitter: @twolitchicksInstagram: @two_lit_chicksTikTok: @two_lit_chicksEmail: hello@twolitchicks.orgIf you do one thing today, sign up to our newsletter so we can keep you updated with all our news.If you do two things, leave us a (nice!) review on Itunes.Thank you so much for listening.Listeners, we love you.Two Lit Chicks Podcast is recorded and produced by Your Voice HereSupport the show
Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Positive Affirmations And Audio Stories podcast.Today we've got a short phone chat episode about letting go of fear and taking a chance. There's a lovely inspiring bit of prose by Kahil Gibran, then let's work with a short but empowering affirmation. ******Coffee fuels us up ... donations keep us going... please pop over to ko-fi for a coffee donation if you'd like to financially support our work. If you would like to get more inspiration and motivation, there are lots of inspirational positive videos, messages and artwork over there! Become a member at any level, and reap even more fab benefits.https://ko-fi.com/happythoughts Many thanks, your listens, likes, subscribes and support mean the world to us.This podcast is available on Spreaker, iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast, Amazon, iHeartRadio and most podcast platforms and apps. If you like what you hear please feel free to share and to leave a review on your site of choice.Visit my Bandcamp page for more inspiration affirmations, meditations and stories for purchase and sample. Helping you live the positive lifestyle that you deserve.https://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com 1Tame Your Dragon - Affirmations to Help Release Painful Memorieshttps://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com/track/tame-your-dragon-affirmations-to-help-release-painful-memories2The Amethyst meditationhttps://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com/track/the-amethyst-meditation3The Rose Quartz meditation - self love inner peacehttps://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com/track/the-rose-quartz-meditation-self-love-inner-peace4Affirmations of self-confidence self love for kids and teenshttps://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com/track/affirmations-of-self-confidence-self-love-for-kids-and-teens5Affirmations to help reduce anxiety and encourage peace of mindhttps://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com/track/affirmations-to-help-reduce-anxiety-and-encourage-peace-of-mind6Easy A-Z affirmations for childrenhttps://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com/track/easy-a-z-affirmations-for-children7Empowering affirmations for entrepreneurshttps://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com/track/empowering-affirmations-for-entrepreneurs
"When we're deep thinking we get to go to new, unexplored places - because a different level and quality of thought opens up new places." Albert Einstein said, “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” Enter the power of deep thinking... A practice, skill, and commitment that can help us succeed in this age of information abundance and overload as we own our individuality and express our best self. But how do you cultivate the concentration, focus, and presence required to crack open depth so you don't get stuck in superficiality? This episode reveals how...Tune in now and discover: How deepening our thinking can spark a ripple effect in our lives - and even the world. Why information availability has transformed through the tech revolution. Journaling as a tool for delving, contemplating, and deepening your experience of life. What does it take to think deeply? Benefits of deep thinking. "To leverage this age of individuality, we need to know ourselves. We need to get clear about what we think, how we express, and what we desire... a depth of thinking can take us to these important answers." Deep thinking as a catalyst to discover our own opinions. Why depth is satiating - and what it opens up. Attention as a currency - and becoming indistractible. Journalling as a tool for cultivating deep thought. Four ideas for stimulating thought during a journaling session. Five depth cultivating questions. And more! This episode's journaling prompt. Kahil Gibran said, “Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.” What wisdom, thoughts, feelings etc. does this quote crack open for you? Plus, questions for depth to keep in your journaling toolbox. What are the deeper issues here? What's the real question I should be asking now?What's my blind spot in this situation? What possibility could this allow me to step into? What does this train of thought say about who I am being? "There's so much division and varying conversations. It's important we know as individuals where we sit on the spectrum or we settle for what the narrative says rather than what we know to be true for us." Also, check out the BestSelf Co. range of journaling tools:1. Creating Your Live List [$5 investment].2. Transform Fear to Focus [$5 investment].3. 52 List Journaling Prompts [a free tool].Finally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show as it helps more people find us. You can also tag us on social. We're @bestselfco and I'm @georginaelmorshdy. Support the show (http://bestself.co/)
Today's passage, “Aren't We All Alcoholics?” In Dr. Shefali Tsabary's newest novel, A Radical Awakening, she likens our addictions to attachments in society with that of the alcoholic's addiction or enslavement to having a drink, which is only relieved by having a spiritual awakening, a purpose to live authentically without self-medicating in order to live a radical life in presence.Shefali writes, “We are all addicts in our own ways. We are addicts to our attachments, be it to our roles, relationships, emotional patterns, possessions, or beliefs. Ask a religious person to let go of their attachment, and see what resistance you get. Similarly, ask any person in a conflict to give up their point of view and you will see the degree of attachment they hold” because they are holding on to their attachments in survivor mode.So how do we break free from our attachments? Shefali goes on to say, “To step out of survivor mode into awakened mode takes courage. It requires that we dare to make the shift from being externally focused to being internally driven. This means we need to awaken to our inner knowing. This takes practice.”The path inward for my spiritual practice is through silence whether I'm doing breathwork, meditation, journaling or being out in nature. It is through our path inward that we become full aware and in knowledge of ourselves.Khalil Gibran writes in The Prophet “And a man said, Speak to us of Self-Knowledge. And he answered, saying: Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.Connect with me: Instagram.com/megan_nycmom
Today we're coming to you from our phone. We've got a lovely poem by Kahil Gibran ... it's about fear. Sometimes fear is not something to be avoided, but it's something to be embraced and it can make us into something ...someone stronger and better than before.Coffee fuels us up ... donations keep us going... please pop over to ko-fi for a coffee donation if you'd like to financially support our work. You can also find lots of inspirational positive videos message and artwork over there!https://ko-fi.com/happythoughts Many thanks, your support means the world to us.This podcast is available on Spreaker, iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast, Amazon, iHeartRadio and most podcast platforms and apps. If you like what you hear please feel free to leave a review on your site of choice.Visit my Bandcamp page where you can purchase affirmations, meditations and stories. Helping you live the positive lifestyle that you deserve.https://stefanialintonbon.bandcamp.com
The third eye center is a powerful confluence of energy that has been acknowledged by many traditions and cultures. When we learn and develop the ability “to see” with more than our physical sight, then worlds of depth and magic reveal themselves within & without. Discussed are practical themes & concrete ways to work with this sometimes illusive chakra including developing our senses of perception, the recognition of patterns and the capacity to dream which allow this chakra to thrive and to flourish. Tips on how to decipher and work with both excesses and deficiencies in this potent chakra are offered as well as accessible healing tools and compelling insights. “Trust the dreams, for hidden in them is the gate to eternity.” - Kahlil Gibran SHOW NOTES: The “Ajna Chakra” is the 6th chakra in the chakra system which comes from the Indian tradition. The 6th chakra is colloquially and commonly referred to as your “third eye” as it lives behind the space between your eyebrows in the region of the pineal gland in the forehead center. The entire chakra system which is made up of 7 spinning wheels of energy called chakras, lives at the intersectionality of our physical bodies, our energetic bodies and our psyches (and if you haven't yet heard our Intro to the Chakras: The Rainbow Bridge Inside of You - Episode #16, definitely give that episode a listen for more details on the overall system in its entirety). The association of this throat chakra with the pineal gland. Balancing this chakra might help with sleep cycles and circadian rhythms. Within our bodies there are 3 main “nadis” or rivers of energy: -Ida, lunar and associated with the Divine Feminine within -Pingala, solar and associated with the Divine Masculine within -Sushumna, associated with running on the same access as our spine These rivers of energy within criss cross one another and flow from the root chakra, Muladhara (Episode #17 - Root Chakra: Grow Your Roots & Ground Your Chit) to this 6th chakra which make it a powerful point of confluence where the 3 energies merge into one stream of consciousness where they flow up to the 7th sahasrara chakra. Parenthetically in India, the lineage from which the chakra system comes from, it is said these 3 nadis or rivers of energy within the body are represented in the outer 3 great rivers of India called the Ganga (associated with Ida), Jamuna (Pingala) and Saraswati (a subterranean current associated with Sushumna). When we focus and bring our attention which is one of our most powerful currencies, to this point where our energies converge and focus on it, we too become purified, meaning we can release what is not in alignment with our most aligned self and when we do this doorways and gateways open to us in the way of our perceptions, our memories, our imaginations and our abilities of perception. Kahil Gibran who wrote the most exquisite book called the Prophet said, “Trust the dreams, for hidden in them is the gate to eternity.” - Kahlil Gibran “Ajna” is sometimes translated as ”to command.” It is about trusting in dreams and one's sense of perception. What is your level of engagement with your imagination? How is your memory and how are your recall capacities? How is your sleep going and what is your dream life like? The 6th chakra is about developing our senses of perception even if we think we suck at them because when we do, insights and the recognition of patterns which lead to deep wisdom opens up to us…...and you live life like someone left the gate open for you beginning to trust in yourself even more and in your dreams! It lives in the space between your eyebrows as your “third eye.” Its basic right is to see what is really going on and the “big picture.” It's about seeing all levels of reality. When we are told things we see aren't real, and our intuitions are discounted this can cause imbalances within this chakra as both kids and adults. It is all about trusting and working with one's intuition and imagination. Associated with the element light. It is also associated with the color Indigo. It is activated and grows during adolescence and it deals with the ability to recognize patterns and esoteric questions such as, “Who I am? Why am I here?” In adult chakra development, it's about turning towards wanting to have more profound inner development. Travel, renewed study, trainings and circumstances that reflect back to us patterns within ourselves are paramount and of interest. Studying dreams and exploring past life regression and inner child work can be helpful to balance this chakra. The “chakra challenge” is illusion & separateness. Traumas that involve an invalidation of what you see or intuit might benefit from activities working with the right and left sides of the body and integrating both halves of body and brain together. Excesses and deficiencies and ways to support the healing of this chakra are discussed to bring it back into balance. When the stakes are low, tune into how you get information from your inner GPS. Develop it like a muscle. Lavender, sage, rosemary, ylang ylang are plant medicine and oils associated with this chakra. Saturday and the planet of Saturn are as well. Opal, Azurite and Lapis Lazuli are the gems associated with this chakra as is the devi, Krishna. If our “lower” 4 chakras are well developed, this chakra will be well supported. 6th Chakra Imbalance Thought Litmus Test & 6th Chakra Affirmations are shared. This chakra is depicted as a 2 petaled lotus flower (representing Shiva and Shakti, the divine Masculine and Feminine aspects within each human) along with a circle representing the concept of “Shunya” which appears in Buddhism as well as various Eastern streams referring to the void, dark velvety realm of magic and deepest knowing. There is an inverted triangle within the circle, representing the feminine, creative energy. Above it is a black phallic symbol that depicts the astral body. The astral body is said to be connected to our personality. “Purification” is refinement and evolution of one's own consciousness. The “Buddhi” which is the aspect of our minds that can see the big picture and discern all that we DO have in the way of blessings. We practice remembering. “Eagle Vision” known as “Upeskha.” Meditation: Practicing “Shambhavi Mudra” the space behind the eyes. Practice tuning into your intuition when the stakes aren't high and develop fun games and/or practices to do so. Study the patterns in nature (such as the Fibonacci sequence) and this unlocks the patterns in our mind, hearts and bodies. If you open your third eye, then the whole world reveals its magical secrets to you and you understand that YOU are one of them! Stay tuned and be on the lookout for more upcoming “Soulcasts” where we will go chakra by chakra (one episode per each chakra) and you can learn about this powerful technology that blends Eastern Wisdom & Modern Day life so you can move towards more mystical mastery and mindfulness living. Note: This is the seventh episode in our Chakra Soulcast Series. Make sure you have checked out the 7 episodes in this series entitled: Chakras: The Rainbow Bridge Inside of You - Episode # 16 Root Chakra: Grow Your Roots & Ground Your Chit - Episode #17 Reclaiming Abundance, Creativity & Sacred Sexuality: Your Sacral Chakra Episode - #19 Boundaries, Sovereignty & Unfolding Your Own Myth: The Solar Plexus Chakra - Episode #21 The Key to Your Heart Chakra - Episode #23 Find Your Voice & Claim Your Sound: Throat Chakra - Ep. #25.
January is now behind us (thank god) so Andy and Lizzy look back on what they've achieved over those 31 days, yes there was only 31 days even if it did feel like 784. Ticking January off feels like a big win so February goals are looked at before diving into creativity and how and where we can find it during lockdown. Did dry January? Then use this as an excuse to pour yourself a gin and join us for #TuesdayClub. Be sure to get in touch - Instagram @podcrastinationpod, Twitter @PodcrastPod or email us contactpodcrastination@gmail.com.Couple of things we mention this week which might be of interest.... Lizzy's Quote of the Week this week was by poet Kahil Gibran. Andy's step-sister's blog is www.rebelrecipes.com See you next Tuesday! Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." -Kahil Gibran
The Impact Podcast by Innov8social | Social Impact Through Business, Innovation, Leadership
Yes, yes, yes, and Kahil Gibran. Those are the quick answers to this episode of Neetal Notes addressing the questions: Will there be more episodes of The SisterTalk Podcast in this feed? Is there an upcoming season of The Impact Podcast anytime in our future? What has been a helpful perspective during this time of covid19?
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The most massive characters are seared with scars.” - Kahil Gibran Taking care of others? That’s the easy part: shining a light so others can find their own way. But taking care of ourselves? Well… when the self is shrouded in shadows, the wounded healer can get lost in the dark. **Trigger warning for those with spiritual or religious wounding.** A dark night of the soul, a phrase based on the 16th-century poem of the same name by St. John of the Cross, is, essentially, the suffering one endures as they travel toward spiritual growth and ultimate union with the Divine (in St. John’s case, God). I t’s a kind of existential road trip in which the first leg of the journey is difficult and the second absolutely horrible. In the deep end of this crisis, the wounded healer abandons agency; sinking while waiting to be saved. But, by reclaiming the ability to make choices, we can reconnect with our Divine (however that being manifests for you). When we do the work of breaking down so we can align with our essential nature, our Divine helps us tap into our inner knowing -- even when the outside world has gone to hell. Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi
‘Op het uur van haar scheiding’ kent de liefde haar eigen diepte pas, volgens Kahil Gibran (1883-1931). De minne bestaat bij uitstek op de ure van de dood, de stonde van het verscheiden – of zoals bij Mieke van Zonneveld (1989): ‘Je zegt: “het blijft bij reiken naar. Jij houdt jouw baan en ik mijn plaats.’ (…) Als we sterven vinden we elkaar.’ Meer informatie over deze aflevering en Parafrase als geheel vind je op www.podgront.nl. Als je zelf een mooie tekst hebt die je terug zou willen horen in deze podcast: mail naar egbert@podgront.nl
Want to Drastically Change the Quality of Your Life? Name Your Stress. Stress is a sneaky bugger. Like an invisible gas, stress creeps into our systems and slowly disassembles our life. We have no idea how much we absorb. Furthermore, we are unconscious about how much we manifest. According to the Mayo Clinic, being able to recognize common symptoms of stress can give you a jump on managing them. While it's necessary to understand the physical effects of stress, it's also equally important to understand what is stressing us out. In other words, bring your anxieties and inconveniences out in the open for investigation instead of shoving down or ignoring their causes. That is to say, not dealing with stress can result in more stress. In this episode, I get personal about my own stressors and why, lately, I am actually feeling clear and calm. Also, I share the effects stress has had on my body and overall wellbeing, i.e. weight gain, irritability, etc. To illustrate my point I share how I recently examined what makes me anxious, worried, nervous and jerky. On the positive side, talking about stress has been liberating—which is why I want to share my process with you. Naming exactly what makes you stressed (really naming by the way, not just giving lip service to yourself) offers you the key to feeling less stressed. Naming stress is the first step to lightening up If you want to drastically change the quality of your life you need to be honest. Here’s how: Firstly, let’s agree that we all carry stress—some of us more than others. The truth is that it’s nearly impossible to be in this world without carrying some low-level anxiety. Secondly, be willing to expose everything (really, every single situation or person giving you grief). In other words, we need to be curious enough about our wellbeing to get down to the nitty gritty stuff we’ve been avoiding. It’s important to realize that if you don’t get real with yourself, it’s much harder to change. To begin, plan on putting pen to paper for at least 15 minutes. Create a list of the big (and small) people and situations that make you anxious, sick to your stomach or simply irritable. Getting Started Try this exercise to begin. I am stressed about __________________ in the following ways. Use the prompts below. Go through the list one by one. Answer all that is applicable in your life. And, don’t forget to buckle up. You may uncover big, uncomfortable and/or heavy stuff. Health Habits Work (or lack thereof) Partner (or lack thereof) Children (or lack thereof) Parents Siblings Friends Hobbies (or lack thereof) Uncertainty Naming your stressors is the first step to improving your health and lightening your attitude. Once your stress triggers are out in the open, you will be able to see them more clearly. In other words, naming your stress gives you space. Don’t ignore your stress any longer. If you want to drastically change the quality of your life you must name what stands in your way. Naming my stress has liberated me in many ways. I feel lighter and brighter and ready to face the stress triggers that remain in my life. And trust me, there's still more left for me to deal with. How about you? Let me know what you find. Previous Episode: #84: Be Free. Get Out of Your Own Way Get my free app – On The Verge - App Store This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet The Guest House by Rumi (oops I got the source wrong in the episode. It’s not Kahil Gibran, it’s the great Rumi) Don't have my book On The Verge: Wake up, Show up, and Shine? Order it here
The most rewarding thing I've ever done was giving birth to four children and learning how to be a successful mother. "Your children are not your children," the Lebanese poet Kahil Gibran wrote. "They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself...You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth." I love this quote, not only because—having brought up four children by four different men all on my own—I believe it's just about the most accurate description of parenthood I have ever heard. It also emphasizes the 'lightness' that develops when we give up trying to be perfect, and come to trust the processes of Nature while feeding, healing, and guiding each of our children towards what works best for them at any moment in time. Like the seed of a plant that has encoded within its genetic material the characteristics that will, in time, produce a full-grown flower, every baby comes into this world carrying a package of incredibly rich potential that encompasses his or her unique nature. I call it seedpower. It holds far greater physical, creative and spiritual energy than any of us could hope to experience in ten lifetimes. Each child is like the brush stroke a zen painter makes to represent one leaf on a shaft of bamboo. The leaf he paints is totally singular—like no leaf that has ever existed before. Yet within this uniqueness, your child's universal beauty is to be found, as well as life energy of the highest order. When my first son Branton was born, I was 18 years old in university. Like most parents, I had some harebrained idea that we parents need to mold our children from the outside. We need to impose on them our ideas about what they should act like, think like, look like, and all the rest. Of course, this never works—but when we are young and naïve as I was, we just don't know any better. With a bit of luck, sooner or later we come to realize that what most certainly does work is not trying to mold a child at all, but listening to the whispers of each child's seedpower that comes from within. By doing this, we can respond to our children by offering whatever at any moment seems most useful to them, in the form of food, health, guidance, education and so on. This is infinitely easier and more successful all round. Taking on the job of guardian for any child from birth to adulthood involves having to make 'contractual agreements', which of course must be re-negotiated from time to time as a child grows. Like every contract, the parent/child relationship is always a two-way deal. It has to be fair on both sides. It also has to nurture both people involved. How well your own contracts develop and how much joy there is for the both of you in fulfilling them depends to a great extent on how clearly the agreements between the two of you are understood. Let me show you what I mean. In establishing 'contracts' with my own children, I was sure of a few things. First, I was committed to supplying them with wholesome food and clean surroundings, as well as physical warmth and safety. I also wanted them to have the right to their own opinions, even when they markedly differed from my own. In return, I expected them to appreciate the home, food and care I provided for them, although I knew it would never be perfect. I also demanded that they be as honest and respectful of me and my decisions as their age would allow. What I never asked of any of my children—and I think this is where so many parents go wrong—is that they love me. Trying to get into that particular agreement creates nothing but trouble. Whether or not your child loves you is fundamentally beside the point. Our responsibility as a parent is to use our best judgment and physical resources to help our child grow, and to discover his or her unique gifts.
The most rewarding thing I’ve ever done was giving birth to four children and learning how to be a successful mother. "Your children are not your children," the Lebanese poet Kahil Gibran wrote. "They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself...You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth." I love this quote, not only because—having brought up four children by four different men all on my own—I believe it’s just about the most accurate description of parenthood I have ever heard. It also emphasizes the 'lightness' that develops when we give up trying to be perfect, and come to trust the processes of Nature while feeding, healing, and guiding each of our children towards what works best for them at any moment in time. Like the seed of a plant that has encoded within its genetic material the characteristics that will, in time, produce a full-grown flower, every baby comes into this world carrying a package of incredibly rich potential that encompasses his or her unique nature. I call it seedpower. It holds far greater physical, creative and spiritual energy than any of us could hope to experience in ten lifetimes. Each child is like the brush stroke a zen painter makes to represent one leaf on a shaft of bamboo. The leaf he paints is totally singular—like no leaf that has ever existed before. Yet within this uniqueness, your child’s universal beauty is to be found, as well as life energy of the highest order. When my first son Branton was born, I was 18 years old in university. Like most parents, I had some harebrained idea that we parents need to mold our children from the outside. We need to impose on them our ideas about what they should act like, think like, look like, and all the rest. Of course, this never works—but when we are young and naïve as I was, we just don’t know any better. With a bit of luck, sooner or later we come to realize that what most certainly does work is not trying to mold a child at all, but listening to the whispers of each child's seedpower that comes from within. By doing this, we can respond to our children by offering whatever at any moment seems most useful to them, in the form of food, health, guidance, education and so on. This is infinitely easier and more successful all round. Taking on the job of guardian for any child from birth to adulthood involves having to make 'contractual agreements', which of course must be re-negotiated from time to time as a child grows. Like every contract, the parent/child relationship is always a two-way deal. It has to be fair on both sides. It also has to nurture both people involved. How well your own contracts develop and how much joy there is for the both of you in fulfilling them depends to a great extent on how clearly the agreements between the two of you are understood. Let me show you what I mean. In establishing 'contracts' with my own children, I was sure of a few things. First, I was committed to supplying them with wholesome food and clean surroundings, as well as physical warmth and safety. I also wanted them to have the right to their own opinions, even when they markedly differed from my own. In return, I expected them to appreciate the home, food and care I provided for them, although I knew it would never be perfect. I also demanded that they be as honest and respectful of me and my decisions as their age would allow. What I never asked of any of my children—and I think this is where so many parents go wrong—is that they love me. Trying to get into that particular agreement creates nothing but trouble. Whether or not your child loves you is fundamentally beside the point. Our responsibility as a parent is to use our best judgment and physical resources to help our child grow, and to discover his or her unique gifts. Early on, I decided that I would try to do my best for my children, but they were stuck with me as a parent for better or for worse—complete with all my warts. And while I didn't expect them to love me, I did expect them to know that whatever I did, I did because I believed it to be right. Whenever some decision I made or action I took turned out to be wrong, I always owned up and asked for their forgiveness—just as I forgave them their mistakes. What I discovered, quite by accident, was that there is a certain magic to all this. You see, when you decide to give up all claims to being a so-called 'good parent', or having your child love you, this creates a vast expanse of freedom for you both. What’s more, not only do children eventually end up loving you of their own accord, they develop a lot of respect for you—whether they agree with you or not. Most important of all, they come to feel safe, because they know that even though you can be unreasonable at times and unbending, your strength—on which they rely for security—remains uncorrupted by flattery or the kind of emotional blackmail which even very young children are masters at. In time, your children learn that your strength is there to serve them. It’s a discovery that can bring a sense of joy, even during the most challenging of times. Now, of course, all my four children are grown up. My daughter Susannah and I have written five books together. My youngest son Aaron and I work together, developing internet sites which some say can be life-changing. My other two sons—Branton and Jesse—now have families of their own, including six unique and highly independent children. This makes me a grandmother. I adore all of them. But I confess that I am probably the world’s worst grandmother. I don’t bake cookies, babysit or do any of the expected grandmotherly things. Why? Well, I loved being a mother more than anything in the world. But I’ve done that. So now my future belongs to me. I sense there are lots more adventures that lie ahead for me now. I intend to be free to explore them. What I find so wonderful is that all four of my children respect and understand where I’m coming from and, without judgment, bless me for just being who I am.
The most rewarding thing I’ve ever done was giving birth to four children and learning how to be a successful mother. "Your children are not your children," the Lebanese poet Kahil Gibran wrote. "They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself...You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth." I love this quote, not only because—having brought up four children by four different men all on my own—I believe it’s just about the most accurate description of parenthood I have ever heard. It also emphasizes the 'lightness' that develops when we give up trying to be perfect, and come to trust the processes of Nature while feeding, healing, and guiding each of our children towards what works best for them at any moment in time. Like the seed of a plant that has encoded within its genetic material the characteristics that will, in time, produce a full-grown flower, every baby comes into this world carrying a package of incredibly rich potential that encompasses his or her unique nature. I call it seedpower. It holds far greater physical, creative and spiritual energy than any of us could hope to experience in ten lifetimes. Each child is like the brush stroke a zen painter makes to represent one leaf on a shaft of bamboo. The leaf he paints is totally singular—like no leaf that has ever existed before. Yet within this uniqueness, your child’s universal beauty is to be found, as well as life energy of the highest order. When my first son Branton was born, I was 18 years old in university. Like most parents, I had some harebrained idea that we parents need to mold our children from the outside. We need to impose on them our ideas about what they should act like, think like, look like, and all the rest. Of course, this never works—but when we are young and naïve as I was, we just don’t know any better. With a bit of luck, sooner or later we come to realize that what most certainly does work is not trying to mold a child at all, but listening to the whispers of each child's seedpower that comes from within. By doing this, we can respond to our children by offering whatever at any moment seems most useful to them, in the form of food, health, guidance, education and so on. This is infinitely easier and more successful all round. Taking on the job of guardian for any child from birth to adulthood involves having to make 'contractual agreements', which of course must be re-negotiated from time to time as a child grows. Like every contract, the parent/child relationship is always a two-way deal. It has to be fair on both sides. It also has to nurture both people involved. How well your own contracts develop and how much joy there is for the both of you in fulfilling them depends to a great extent on how clearly the agreements between the two of you are understood. Let me show you what I mean. In establishing 'contracts' with my own children, I was sure of a few things. First, I was committed to supplying them with wholesome food and clean surroundings, as well as physical warmth and safety. I also wanted them to have the right to their own opinions, even when they markedly differed from my own. In return, I expected them to appreciate the home, food and care I provided for them, although I knew it would never be perfect. I also demanded that they be as honest and respectful of me and my decisions as their age would allow. What I never asked of any of my children—and I think this is where so many parents go wrong—is that they love me. Trying to get into that particular agreement creates nothing but trouble. Whether or not your child loves you is fundamentally beside the point. Our responsibility as a parent is to use our best judgment and physical resources to help our child grow, and to discover his or her unique gifts. Early on, I decided that I would try to do my best for my children, but they were stuck with me as a parent for better or for worse—complete with all my warts. And while I didn't expect them to love me, I did expect them to know that whatever I did, I did because I believed it to be right. Whenever some decision I made or action I took turned out to be wrong, I always owned up and asked for their forgiveness—just as I forgave them their mistakes. What I discovered, quite by accident, was that there is a certain magic to all this. You see, when you decide to give up all claims to being a so-called 'good parent', or having your child love you, this creates a vast expanse of freedom for you both. What’s more, not only do children eventually end up loving you of their own accord, they develop a lot of respect for you—whether they agree with you or not. Most important of all, they come to feel safe, because they know that even though you can be unreasonable at times and unbending, your strength—on which they rely for security—remains uncorrupted by flattery or the kind of emotional blackmail which even very young children are masters at. In time, your children learn that your strength is there to serve them. It’s a discovery that can bring a sense of joy, even during the most challenging of times. Now, of course, all my four children are grown up. My daughter Susannah and I have written five books together. My youngest son Aaron and I work together, developing internet sites which some say can be life-changing. My other two sons—Branton and Jesse—now have families of their own, including six unique and highly independent children. This makes me a grandmother. I adore all of them. But I confess that I am probably the world’s worst grandmother. I don’t bake cookies, babysit or do any of the expected grandmotherly things. Why? Well, I loved being a mother more than anything in the world. But I’ve done that. So now my future belongs to me. I sense there are lots more adventures that lie ahead for me now. I intend to be free to explore them. What I find so wonderful is that all four of my children respect and understand where I’m coming from and, without judgment, bless me for just being who I am.
1. Should I “dumb down” my resume in order to get a JOB? 2. I have ADD so I'll always be poor. 3. What are the basic components of running a mastermind group? 4. Please share your definition and thoughts about taking a leap of faith. 5. Should I agree to train others what I do and ultimately lose my job? Quotation “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger. And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distills a poison in the wine. And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.” Kahil Gibran, from “The Prophet”