Category: Books

Books

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Books Poetry

Why Poetry Month Matters: Awakening Society Through Verse.

poetry month

April brings us Poetry Month, a special time to dive into the world of poems. It’s not just about reading old poetry books; it’s about celebrating the way poetry impacts our lives; how it can really stir up our thoughts and feelings and make us see the world in new ways.

Poetry: The Language We All Feel

Poems help us understand love, sadness, happiness, and loss in deep ways. During Poetry Month, we’re reminded that poems are not just for book lovers; they’re for everyone. They’re in our favorite songs, in powerful speeches, and in those simple lines that say so much about what we feel.

Poems Show Us Who We Are

Poems are like mirrors that show us what’s happening in the world and within us. Poetry is full of story, whether it’s one of hope, struggle, or everyday life. Poetry Month makes this mirror even bigger, letting us hear from all kinds of people and understand each other better.

Finding Comfort in Poems When Times Are Tough

Life can be hard, and sometimes we go through really tough times. That’s when poems can be a big comfort. They remind us that we’re not alone; that our pain is not unique. Poetry Month is a time to remember that, through the toughest times, the words we need are available to us.

Poems Can Spark Change

Poems can not only cause us to think new thoughts and feel deeply, they can also cause us to act.  Poetry Month celebrates not just the beauty of poems but also their power to make us think about big issues and make meaningful change.

My favourite  poets use their words to help me imagine a better world and inspire me to help make that world real.

Giving Poetry Time

Think of reading poetry like cultivating a garden; it requires patience, attention, and an openness to the insight and emotion that may emerge.

To read poetry in a way that allows it to make a significant impact in your life, approach each poem with a willingness to engage deeply, not just with your mind but with your senses and emotions.

Take your time to savor the imagery, rhythm, and layers of meaning. Read aloud when possible, letting the sounds and cadences resonate.

Reflect on the emotions and thoughts the poem evokes, and consider keeping a poetry journal to jot down your reflections and the personal connections you draw.

By immersing yourself fully and giving each poem space to breathe in your life, you allow the subtle magic of poetry to unfold, enriching your experience of the world and offering new perspectives on the familiar.

Happy Poetry Month – May you discover the poems that help you to breakthrough into a deeper, truer, freer and more fulfilling life.

My poetry books.

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Books heart and soul

Words for the Soul: Non-fiction Books that Are a Source of Wisdom and Inspiration.

inspirational non-fiction book

If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for a good book, and when I say a ‘good book’ I mean inspirational non-fiction. These gems serve as beacons of knowledge, showcasing the transformative journeys of remarkable individuals and unveiling the profound insights they have gained along the way.  They possess the unique ability to instill in us a profound sense of motivation and hope.

When I read, I not only want to be entertained but transformed. I want my soul to be nourished, my mind to be stimulated and my spirit to lift. I know that’s a pretty big ask from just some words on paper, but I have had many experiences where books have left me feeling winged.

In a world that often feels fast-paced and disconnected, slowing down to read intentionally instead of taking in what scrolling serves up has become an uneasy, yet essential pursuit. Within the realm of inspirational nonfiction, I embark on a journey that invites me to align with meaning and service, empowering me to create a life of fulfillment and impact.

Discovering Your Unique Path: Unleashing Your Gifts and Passions

Inspirational non-fiction books that focus on purposeful living guide us to discover our unique gifts, passions, and talents. They encourage us to dive deep within ourselves, exploring our authentic desires and uncovering the essence of who we truly are.

By embracing our individuality and leveraging our unique talents, we step onto a path that resonates deeply with our souls and allows us to make a meaningful contribution. If that sounds good to you, I recommend:

Aligning with Meaning: Clarifying Values and Priorities

Lucily, when I was young, I learnt that living a purposeful life requires me to align my actions with my core values and priorities. Personally, I have 3 core values.

Creativity – there just has to be space in my life to explore my imagination and ingest the innovation of others.

Authenticity – I can’t fake it. Oh yes, I’ve tried, but there is something that makes me feel violated within when I keep truth hidden. I want the real stuff, even if it’s ugly.

Freedom – I believe in the inherent right of individuals to express themselves, make choices, and pursue their aspirations without undue constraints. It’s important to me that I be free to follow my heart.

Inspirational non-fiction books offer practical tools and thought-provoking exercises to help us clarify our core beliefs, identify what truly matters to us, and create a value-based roadmap for our lives.  Some books that have helped me do this are:

  • “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl
  • “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
  • Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead” 
  • “The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself” by Michael A. Singer
  • The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do” by Jeff Goins

Embracing Service: Making a Positive Impact in the World

I believe by embracing acts of kindness, compassion, and generosity, we tap into the joy of service and create a ripple effect that extends far beyond our individual lives.

However, to do this, I need constant encouragement. Inspirational non-fiction helps me to expand my vision beyond myself and recognise that my purpose is intimately connected to the well-being of others.  Books that you could read to help you embrace service include:

  • “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein
  • “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank
  • “Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life” by Tony Dungy
  • “Educated: A Memoir” by Tara Westover
  • “Becoming” by Michelle Obama

Living in Alignment: Embracing Authenticity and Growth

Alignment starts with being honest about where we are. We must acknowledge the reality of things to heal, grow and change.

By nurturing our own growth, we not only position ourselves to live purposely but also inspire others to embark on their own authentic path. I recommend these books to help you embrace authenticity and growth include:

  • “What I Know for Sure” by Oprah Winfrey is a collection of insightful reflections and life lessons
  • “Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead” by Brené Brown: 
  • “The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have” by Mark Nepo:
  • “Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person” by Shonda Rhimes
  • “The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose” by Oprah Winfrey

When I write poetry, I strive for it to serve as a wellspring of wisdom and inspiration. I want to capture the essence of the human experience by delving into universal themes of love, resilience, self-discovery, and personal growth. I seek to uplift spirits, ignite hope, and provide solace during challenging times. 

Along with the lists of books in this blog post, I hope my books can be a ‘well’ of sorts, quenching your thirst for wisdom and inspiration. For a closer look click here. 

Categories
Books Journaling Therapeutic Writing Prompts

A guided journal for navigating wild new ways.

guided journal

The process is becoming a little easier, which is not to say that it is easy.  This latest creation required a willingness to write with more vulnerability than I did in my previous books, but hey, ageing is for becoming more courageous right?

That’s what I think readers want – courageous writing. Poetry that isn’t protective or coercive. Language that breathes and beats its fist on your chest. Authentic writing, void of the highlight reel; because we all know there is no way to speak ‘nicely’ when your mid metamorphoses. 

Metamorphoses let’s talk about that word.  According to the word hippo app on my phone (one of my many writing tools) it can be defined as ‘a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one.’ In my experience this process cannot take place on familiar territory. One needs a cocoon of sorts, somewhere away from the patterns of old. 

We may think that a cocoon is always a small, protected hide away. However, I have come to see that living through a wilderness experience is a kind of cocoon. Simply, it is a space where familiar ways don’t work and to survive you must surrender to your undoing. 

Nobody volunteers for such a task. The unravelling of life is something no one asks for. Change happens and sometimes we can’t help it. How do we unknow what has been made known to us? How do we unfeel, unsee, undo experience? Trying to do so would be to miss the point of being here. All we can do is surrender to the lesson and walk on.

Although surrender is the only way to endure the process, tools are handy. ‘Beyond the Safety of Trees’, is a tool. Use it like a spade. Through expressive writing, dig up what lies in your subconscious and explore how your wilderness experience is shaping you; even if you think you’ve walked through it. This guided journal contains 74 wilderness themed poems and 40 writing prompts to help readers navigate seasons of unexpected, and at times, unsettling change. Document your becoming, discover what lives deep in your heart and re-write your story. 

My wilderness came in the form of a story. A page was turned and I found that I had been killed off, written out of a narrative I was mistakenly told I belonged in. This made me question everything, including why I had spent most my life playing a part in my own life instead of holding the pen. Suddenly I could see, ‘Those who hold the pen hold the power’ and that is how I discovered that journaling isn’t just a way to offload negative emotion, but a life altering creative practice that requires us only to show up with honesty and embrace the process. 

And so, if you are found in an unfamiliar place, a desert of lost dreams, an ocean of grief, a hinterland of heartache, a city of uncertainties. It is my intention that the words and writing prompts in this book will bring a sense of empowerment and make you feel seen, understood, and celebrated. 

Guided journal
Guided journal
Dear Wild One, 
On the edge of a new beginning.
It’s time to undress.
For there is not place 
for high shoes and tall hats
where you are going.

You will need to be
light on your feet,
led by your heart,
alert in your gaze.

You must learn to love
not the day,
nor the night.
Both must become meaningless to you-
The moment is your prize.

For the wild wants 
to teach you joy,
independent of dreams fulfilled
free of your certainties,
despite what happened to you.
Guided Journal
Categories
Books life lessons

Thoughts on Thankfulness.

The pandemic has changed a lot, namely, me. Two days ago I went to sleep thinking how lucky I was to cook dinner every night for my family. Prior to 2020 it was a task I complained about a lot. Now it seems this chore has turned into something I feel privileged to do. That’s the thing about thankfulness, it turns inconvenience into honour. And so to celebrate thankfulness, I thought I’d share  6 of my most favourite quotes about thankfulness. I hope these words inspire you to see what you have and say thank you to those you really appreciate.

Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.

Albert Schweitzer.

I wanted to share this quote first because most of us can relate to having been stuck in a place where our inner light, our spark, our zest for living has seemingly vanished. Certain ones, friends, family maybe, nurtured us, sat with us in the pit of our despair, tried to understand and did not judge our pain as merely melancholy. They stood when many sat down on their hands and did nothing. They validated our hurt and told us we weren’t crazy for feeling. They passed on light and rekindled our own. I am thankful for the ones who remained when my flame was snatched, and sat with me  among cooling coals until I saw the value of ashes and my sparked again.

Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.

Marcus Aurelius

Wise words if there were any! Think of one thing you have. Think of what it would be like not to have it. Many of us immediately feel a sense of reverence, humility even and can do nothing more but whisper or shout a heartfelt ‘Thank you’ to the sky. When I am awake to the beauty and abundance around me, wanting turns to thanking every time. This is how I feel when I’m near the ocean. Its expanse somehow makes me see how privileged I am to be alive, to be here.

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.

 L. M. Montgomery

Beautiful words from an illustrious writer. This quote makes me breathe deeply and exhale with a dreamy sign. The natural world is so beautiful and being thankful for the wonder and awe of seasons, landscapes, seaways, and all the weird and wild expressions of nature, makes life so much more enjoyable. Not only does thankfulness for the earth make life more pleasant, it also compels us to want to care and preserve the part of the world in which we live. Our native flora and fauna need us to care and care is created through thankfulness.

The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.

William Blake

A poet never lies and William Blake is no exception. A grateful heart knows no poverty. Thankfulness allows us to see what we receive as a harvest. There are no small wins, no tiny miracles, no little offerings. There is only ever a reaping. Imagine if everyone on earth had the perception that there was no such thing as a morsel; there was only plenty. Greed would not exist and every heart would be joyous.

Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.

Thomas Goodwin

In this quote, Goodwin states that when we receive things that are ‘won with prayer’ meaning what we can not gain by our good efforts or buy for ourselves, it is as sweet as anything received with thankfulness. Being grateful brings a kind of relief, an ease, a sense of peace. Most of the time, when I think I need more things, really all I need is more thankfulness.

Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.

Harry A. Ironside

Thankful people are happy people. They are resourceful, hopeful and creative. I  love this quote because it doesn’t just talk of the disease, it also offers the cure. If you are discontent, thankfulness is your ‘get out of jail free card’. Start with being truly attentive to all the ways goodness turns up in your life, be thankful and watch disgruntlement slip out the side door of your soul.

Categories
Books life lessons

Inspirational John O’Donohue quotes.

I received ‘Walking in Wonder’ by John O’Donohue for my birthday. Krista Tippett proclaims in the foreword, ‘This book that you now hold in your hands is a treasure.’ and I concur. Reading this book felt like finding a fifty dollar bill in the pocket of an old coat; unexpected delight followed by a lucky feeling.

The book is split into 9 Chapters. Each chapter is filled with deep thought, quotes from John’s teachers and conrads, and poetry, delicious John O’Donohue poetry that is seasoned with wisdom like a salty Michelin star tenderloin. Let me share some of John’s inspired words from this work with you.

You can actually go back into yourself to great things that have happened to you and enjoy them and allow them to shelter and bless you again… it’s sad when people don’t use their good memories and revisit again and again the harvest of memory that is within them and live out of the riches of that harvest rather than the poverty of woundedness.

John O’Donohue.

Instead of recalling past moments that were truly sublime, I am often sidetracked by disappointments. And so, after reading the above quote, I indulged myself. I closed my eyes, tilted my head back and remembered. And guess what happened? Joy and amazement right there in my living room. I found a pen and started writing my memories down. I could not help but say aloud to myself, ‘Wait, did that really happen?’ ‘I never dreamt that I would be there, doing that, with them.’

It is true and undeniably beautiful how good memories can make one feel like the richest person alive.

I think that we are infinitely greater than our minds and we are infinitely more than our images of ourselves.

John O’Donohue

Greater than our minds? More than our images of ourselves? Of course we are. There is so much we do not know about everything, so how can it be that we know everything about ourselves. I have a feeling that the purpose of ageing is to uncover more of who we are, to do what we as youths were frightened to dream, to dare to go beyond the images of ourselves that keep us from being fully alive.

The duty of privilege is absolute integrity.

John O’Donohue

I’ve got to tell you, this one stung.  It is my understanding that John is trying to tell his reader that to be true is the responsibility of the free, to waste  liberties on lies and falsities is a great error. Be it pretentious, light-weight living or the martyrdom of people pleasing, the privileged should have no higher goal than authentic living. John’s words encourage me to live deeply.  May we not be wasteful by following misleading voices and misdirected versions of ourselves.

Without integrity there can be no true integration.

John O’Donohue

Again John reminds his readers of the power and necessity of integrity. We can find no real connection without turning up for ourselves and as ourselves. He illustrates how false image stifles relationships and how deep connection with others is dependent on deep connection with ourselves. 

When who we are and who we like to be are the same person, this is the point of great discovery; the place where we can unveil truth after truth after truth.

Time is always full of possibility. It would be a great gift that an old person could give themselves, The gift of recognising the possibilities that are in that time and use their imagination.

John O’Donohue

John teachers ‘old age is a time of great freedom’. Not only do we gain more time for ourselves as we age but we also are freed from many of the concerns we may have had about our lives. The years teach us to let go. 

I like this thought. Ageing isn’t a shame, it’s a glory. The later years are not a time to stop dreaming, but rather a time to revel in the possibilities that have not been available till now. May we rid our minds of the notion that old age is wonderless, profitless, or to be scorned.

If you want to read “Walking in wonder’ you can pick up a copy here. Also Krista Tippett hosts an excellent podcast called ‘on being’ her conversation with John can be found here.

Here’s to reading that replenishes.

Categories
Books

5 books to help heal the heart.

Reading outside in a hammock under the trees
Books that help to heal

Sometimes we need prose, we know, has been laboured for, by poet,  prophet or prequel; void of chiche, stereotype or fleeting trend. Quotes and phrases that cry out to be underlined, highlighted, circled or copied down, whether in a social media post or within the pages of a personal journal.

Throughout my life, I have used words as a floatation device, a breathing apparatus, a flashlight, an umbrella, a ladder, a walking stick, a scalpel, and a get out of jail free card. On occasion when I wake in the early ‘am’ hours, my first instinct is to reach for one of the many books that live on my bedside table. I browse the pages looking to still my swirling mind; to find a delicious combination of letters and symbols that will send me back to sleep and season my dreams. 

I didn’t know it, but these early morning reading sessions had a name. The word ‘bibliotherapy’ comes from the ancient greek words for ‘book’ (biblion) and ‘healing’ (therapeia). It means ‘to use reading as a way to assist the healing process.’  Although I had never heard of the term, reading worked; the right words worked on me.  

Recently I discovered ‘The power of poetry, with Helena Bonham Carter and Jason Isaacs’ on YouTube. In this video, the work of many poets is read aloud from William Sieghart’s book ‘The Poetry Pharmacy’ as a way of demonstrating how poetry can provide a remedy for a number of emotional conditions. From purposeless to assisting aging parents; from loneliness to loss of zest for life, ‘The Poetry Pharmacy’ provides ‘tried and true prescriptions for the heart, soul and mind’.

After experiencing first hand the power of poetry to help the healing process, I became a collector of poems and poetry books. The following is a list of some of the books that I have collected, and how they help.

Nocturnal – by Wilder. For those recovering from heartbreak and rediscovering self.

To Be Remembered – by R.Clift. For those suffering loss, learning to let go and live with memories of what could have been.

Where hope comes from – by Nikita Gill. For those needing light to navigate our time and hope in seasons of loneliness.

Letters to a young poet – by Rainer Maria Rilke. For those needing creative impulse and surge of passion and courage.

Devotions – by Mary Oliver. For those in need of wonder, beauty and invigoration.

Reflecting on such curative works, spark the memory of a mild spring day in 2016,

‘I sat across from an Italian emissary. This is what he told me. Write. Let your tears become the waters that refresh others.’

And so I did. I do.  And so can you too, do what you do, for the flourishing of a world so precious and the healing of hearts, including your own.