Let’s Meet at the Next Trailhead

The journey that I’m on now has a name – Journey to the HeartLand – for its significance in my life. I thought that this one would be different than other trail walks I have done. Wouldn’t an off-trail journey be different than a month on the Benton MacKaye Trail or on the Appalachian Trail?

What I’m discovering is that this journey has the same essentials for success as a walk on a physical trail.

  • Know the trail – I’ve got the road map for our class topics
  • Consider the timing – Well, 7 a.m. might be a little early for some participants!
  • Love my gear – I’ve had technology challenges that I’m stepping through one at a time.
  • Have support – Thanks to my friends who are sharing their home, my partner, my sister, and the participants themselves for their understanding and flexibility while we get our journey underway.
  • Have tools for shifting emotional energy – Well, that’s what this journey is all about! What I’m teaching in this course are the exact tools I’m using to navigate the journey myself! Perfect!

During our first week, we’ve been looking at our “Stories”. Stories are those emotion-laden, repeating patterns that seem to happen over and over again in our lives. They usually have a consistent disempowering “story line”. In addition, our biggest Stories are ones we have been playing out unconsciously – until now! Now, we’re awake to their insidious repetition and we’re tired of their presence. We want to get rid of them, but don’t know how!!!
That’s what Journey to YOUR HeartLand is all about! We’re taking a loving and safe look at these stories and walking step-by-step into a New Story of vibrance, creativity, and fulfillment. read more

The Real Work

The Real Work — Wendell Berry

It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,

and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.

The mind that is not baffled is not employed.

The impeded stream is the one that sings.

~ Wendell Berry ~
(Collected Poems)

The impeded stream is the one that sings

My friend, Barbara Hotz, another master of words and rhythms in my life, sent me this poem on the day my hiking partner of 5 years announced that he was going solo for a time. It wasn’t so much that I was surprised with the news, just the timing. Are we ever ready for those changes we intuit or have even secretly wished for? Even though our relationship had been strained with lack of common, heartfelt purpose for the past month, we had kept willing ourselves to be together. He was the brave one to take the bold step of leaving. read more

Blessing

As our journey begins, here’s a blessing I’m singing, thanks to my friend, Sara and generations before her!

“May troubles be less and blessings be more
May nothing but happiness come to your door
And may you have luck wherever you go
And blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.

May winds be at your back and sun be overhead
May friends be at your side wherever you are led”.

Walk with blessings
Winds at your back, Sun overhead

Chicory and Queen Ann’s Lace

image

My heart flutters.
Illinois roadside chicory and queen Ann’s lace
Revive feelings of childhood walks along an Ohio bikepath.
Gratitude swells for wise parents who created space for Spirit to speak to me.

My twelve year old self regularly walked with my brother the two miles home from the Dayton Museum of Natural History along a bike path lined with these flowers. Those walks generated experiences of joy and independence, strength and courage.

The call continues to walk in Nature. Roadside flowers remjnd me of the early utterances of its voice. read more

Mingus Creek poetry

Standing next to a rushing stream in the Great Smoky Mountains Park I jotted down a poem in a “diamont” style. Nature calls me to observe her constancy amid my sanguinity.

Mingus trail stream
White rushing
Flowing unaware alluringly
Beckoning me to wilderness
Free purposeful refreshing
Journey’ s inspiration
Constancy