In 1979, with significant encouragement from a professional who did NOT believe in prescribing Valium, some new and unusual ideas were presented. Instead of Valium there were some recommended readings (via the Bhagwhan Shree Rajneesh / Osho / guru). My perception of those readings, at the time, was that they contained underlying themes about:

• being present in the moments;
• living to the fullest by just dealing with each day as it arrived; and
• considering options to change the way people, places and things were viewed.

Letting go of the past, giving up control and extensive planning for the future, and just being present! Pretty lofty and unique ideas for a somewhat naïve farm kid. At the time, the concepts were so far removed from the old BS (Belief Systems) that they were sometimes difficult to even grasp.

In retrospect it’s not so difficult to see how others may have perceived some type of duping/brainwashing taking place – via both the professional and the guru. Perhaps though, it’s also important to consider that stepping outside of “acceptable behaviours” attached to the times and family dynamics was not an easy process, for any of the players involved.

Small confession here…. yes, it DID cross my mind that perhaps I could travel to India to meet this guru.

End result of that small three-year journey?

• Dissolution of 21-year high-school sweetheart and marriage relationship.
• Undertaking to become super woman…. does anyone out there relate to three jobs, gonna do it all and not ask for any help!
• Followed by what has become a continuing, life-long effort, to help heal the wounds visited on those I loved the most by giving it my best shot to walk a path of honesty, integrity, and kindness.

A significant realization today is that the path that was unfolding at the end of that three-year journey was NOT sustainable. In fact it very likely would have ended in full-on destruction and failure. But then again, with a willingness to embrace some positive daily routines and practices, over an extended timeline, NOW, it’s clear that everything, even then, was “perfectly on time”.

May 9, 1981 – what is clear in hindsight is that the universe stepped in to save this little soul #1 from certain disaster.

The suggestion of a blind date had been presented by a co-worker – seriously! There was absolutely no room in the life being mapped out by this human-suited, earth-school participant for such a ridiculous idea. Of course, you’ve probably already surmised that even though much, much, much resistance was expounded upon that date occurred.

And once again in hindsight, the importance of the event was that this other human-suited, earth-school soul #2, was also walking a newer path … similar to the one that little soul #1 was exploring.  

Hoping you will humour me and try to visualize this picture.

Following some fine dining, little soul #1 and soul #2 stepped onto the dance floor and ‘voila’ the magic simply erupted … not a step or a beat was missed, and it looked to their friends as though they had danced together forever. And the next phase of their “stories” began (which may or may not unfold in more detail in the weeks/months ahead). Small teaser here – there truly are some fairy tale romance moments involved.

And now I want to change tracks slightly…. although not directly related to this 2^nd quarter recall, in other ways, the decision to sign-up for a 3-week webinar with Mark Nepo (author of The Book of Awakening) is also a further unfolding of sorts.  Those early 1980’s “new ideas” became an integral part of the journey those little souls shared and the webinar series, titled Surviving Storms reinforces the value of those old / new ideas.

Back in the days of the “guru”, mental health issues were not mainstream. In fact, there was a lot of “hiding” taking place and stepping into a therapy situation carried a certain stigma. Thank goodness changes continue to evolve! I’m so grateful for those opportunities to connect with people like Mark. Sometimes, (in my own journey) it can feel like walking through sludge here in the earth-school. People like Mark offer a bucketful of hope and encouragement to anyone who may be looking for new ways to process and walk through their story. 

Referencing Mark, his webinar and book may not seem to quite fit with the beginning of this blog and I hope you’ll stay with me anyway.  One of the reasons I enjoy him so much is his recognition and understanding that each of us is walking our own journey under whatever modus operandi we find ourselves and he simply accepts that we are all “perfectly on time” (of course those are my words not his…LOL).

When this web site and blog came into being it was, in part, a result of Johann Hari’s book Lost Connections. It seemed that a voice of some sort was prodding to at least “try” to somehow get “reconnected” …. with friends and family but perhaps also with people who hadn’t yet crossed my path. Mark had “suggested” we begin a practice of two ancient tools/medicines that have been effective for thousands of years:

HOLDING AND LISTENING
Holding is restorative
Listening and being listened to is healing

And….as can only happen when the universe wants to show me something – serendipity happened at Pickle Ball Orientation today. It only took about 4-5 words for one of the participants to suddenly break into tears. Unknown to the speaker of the words this young lady was/is just six months into her grieving journey. What was the beautiful thing that unfolded? She was held and listened to, and a small piece of healing took place. There are no coincidences (to my way of thinking) and another “perfectly on time” experience unfolded…pretty powerful stuff me thinks.

A few additional lines / suggested practices from Mark that resonated with me…. hoping they may carry a little weight for you as well.

• Storms dissipate when the forces that ground us are greater than the forces that excite us. How do we look for the forces that ground us and spend more time with them than the forces that excite us?
• Catastrophizing – we don’t have to stay in it. We can right size it. How do we practice that?
• There are more years behind me than ahead. How do I let that deepen the preciousness of the days I have left?
• Unfolding from in to out versus going from here to there is a spiritual journey AND both a personal and universal process. A kind of turning inside-out that requires hard work. Am I up for that adventure?
• What kind of commitments and practices help me to stay aligned, to stay authentic, to stay present, to lean in and hold nothing back, to stay open hearted and open-minded
• Like the redwood trees – we need a spiritual practice to deepen our roots and widen our trunk to endure the force of unexpected storms.

It would be heart-warming and heart-healing to think that some of these words may be beneficial, in some small way, to even one person reading. As always, thank you for your encouragement and support.