Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): an understanding that what you already have is the starting point for building the space where you want to be. [Gather your resources and see what you’ve got. What you choose to use and how you choose to use them breathes life and form and definition into the Why you are already living.] The Light of My Light (LOML) and I made some “What-Get Soup” again the other day. The soup is a throwback to…
“Sanctuary” is a word derived from the Latin, “sanctarium,” which means “a container that keeps a cherished or sacred thing safe.” The word, as used by the Greco-Romans referred to places of holiness or safety. Even though the word is often traced only as far as the Greek and Roman empires and their temples, the concept of a place of refuge is universal. It appears in almost all of the cultural and spiritual traditions from all over the world and…
Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): an understanding that every form of Making is ultimately another way of practicing being human. [Humans make things. It’s how we connect with one another and with the World.] I am pleased when I can wander through poet Mary Oliver’s words and borrow her eyes and her heart to see again the beauty and the mystery of Life-Its-Own-Self. The words remind me: I am not alone. That one helps me get back to peace again amid…
Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): a tendency to notice what you are noticing and to ask why you’re noticing it. [Sometimes you notice things that call to your heart and your heart responds by dancing. The best move then is to go do more of that dance….] Have you noticed the latest trend (especially after the pandemic lockdown) toward hugging trees, galaxy-gazing, mooning over wilderness landscapes and generally dissing our man-made constructs and urban follies? Going-Outside-with-the-capital-O has become the new…
Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): a tendency to take action opportunely. Not tied to past accomplishments, not attached to any outcomes, you’re free to take effective action. [It’s another water thing, I am thinking. If you watch a stream, you notice that the water moves the best way it can over, under, around…and gets to the sea eventually just doing that. Cool.] I bet you’ve heard it a time or two, the old chestnut about how “timing is everything.” I…
Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): a growing appreciation of process. [Creativity and change move through every situation you encounter. Enjoy the ride ’cause there ain’t no going back!] Change is everywhere. Everything keeps changing, little by little. Like a tree growing, it just keeps on. The thing is you don’t really notice how big that tree is getting until you find an old picture and are amazed at the difference in that tree your father planted in the yard all…
Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): a growing awareness that the only thing that abides is the way you walk. [How are you walking and how is your walk talking?] Assorted studies have shown that the way you walk down the street increases your chances of being a victim, a target for challenge, or a welcome addition to a group. The way you walk, they say, has a language of its own and the people around you are likely to make…
Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): a disinclination to encourage catastrophic thinking and worrying. [Worst-case scenarios rarely happen. Allowing yourself to get caught up in mind-loops about them just makes you dizzy and paralyzes you.]
Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): an understanding that “creativity” is not a talent; it is a way of operating. [The coolest thing is anybody can do it.] I guess it’s a cliché now. One way to enhance your creativity, they tell us, is to keep a journal. Snuggle up with your thoughts and illuminate your feelings, write down your dreams and hunches, collect quotes from the famous and the notorious. Spend time in your own head. Be your own psychotherapist. …
Another IPS (Inner Peace Symptom): an understanding that energy, vitality and passion cannot be given; they can only be found. [Your liveliness comes from inside you. No amount of urging by outside forces can make you vital, can make you care. You have to find it in yourself, for yourself.] Here’s the thing: If you don’t really care whether some idea or conceptualization becomes a reality, if the process of getting to the finish line only induces a body-shuddering yawn,…