I love mindfulness, partly for its promise of liberation, but also for the ways it helps me on a very practical level, to navigate through life. The lists and aspirations are a huge support, and a kind of blessing, especially right now.

There’s another way to explore mindfulness, though, and that’s through a poetic lens. That lens isn’t more or less supportive, or more or less of a blessing. It’s just a different way of looking. The poetry I’m most interested in is the Dhammapada, a collection of verses that offers all of the teachings in 26 chapters.

I guess what I’m also saying is that right now, poetry feels like a refuge. Please join me on the Wake Up Call if it’s like that for you, too, or if you’re simply looking for refuge. Or stay tuned here, for some snippets.

And stay safe out there.

Seems like setting an intention to be kind and to not cause harm would be a simple thing. But then look at the world, and all of the devastating consequences that happen even when the responsible person claims their intentions were good.

What if we paid attention to intention at the beginning, middle, and end? Meaning, before we spoke or acted, while that was happening, and later? And if we discovered that we’d caused harm, what if we apologized and made amends?

It might not be easy (at least for me). But it’s a formula for powerful change. And it sure feels like we could use some change right now.

Happy Women’s History Month. The theme this year is, Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future. I’m in if you are.

Wishing you safety, wellbeing, peace, and change

It’s funny the way we toss around our points of view, as if we’re entitled to any which one. Or at least we feel like we are. It’s a free country, right?

But wouldn’t it be better if we were more deliberate? And chose a point of view that included caring about everyone, and all the critters, and also the planet? And also took into account that whether or not we adopt a wise, compassionate, point of view, is largely in our hands? And has consequences?

Because it does. Our point of view matters because it’s our rudder. It determines which way we’ll turn when the times get tough. Which they have. So don’t we want a point of view that always, or as often as possible, points us in the direction of safety for everyone on this small, watery, boat we call earth?

♥️♥️