One of my very favorite poems is called, The Spider, by Mary Thompson.  I first heard it at a memorial service for a friends mom, and the profound truth of it has stuck with me for going on 5 years now. Whenever I feel lost or uncertain, confused if I am indeed on ‘the right path’ – I return to these words, reminding myself that I am doing the best that I can, the only way I know how, and that it takes time to weave worlds. The Spider Do not be afraid. This web will not hold you prisoner, pin your wings, cut short long flights of fancy. This web is beautiful. See how it shimmers in the morning light, nestled dewdrops, shiny as glass. This web reaches out across time and space draws in stars, starlings, the soft, surprising thought, … Continue reading →

I have been noticing a major pattern in my life, my clients lives, and my friends experiences.  It all comes down to your relationship to yourself.  How you treat yourself is how the world responds. Problems at work?  How are you treating yourself? Are you standing up for yourself and believing in your value? Or do you not believe you’re worth it and thus have semi-abandoned yourself to the demanding whims of your boss and workplace. Romance problems? Do you always seem to get the same distant shut down?  You want them to fall wildly in love with you, but perhaps you’re not wildly in love with yourself. If you don’t believe in your untempered goodness, believe me, no one else will either. They’ll pick up on your hesitation, your nerves, your uncertainty, and they’ll respond in kind. We train … Continue reading →

Saludos Creativas! If you live in the Northern Hemisphere it is SUMMER round these parts, the season most frequently associated with vacations.  Except when you grow up and have a real job or three, they become harder and harder to take.  I was lucky enough to spend most of my July either camping or getting to know the area around Cusco, Peru.  Northern California rivers or Andean mountains.  Deeeeeelightful. Start with a smile, follow up with ‘can I help you’ Smiles people.  They go a long way to communicating. I am always reminded of this lesson, (and how powerful my own is) when I’m far from home.  It’s the gateway to communication.  The second part, is offering to help.  A simple ‘can I help you with that’ goes a long way towards showing respect, openness, and an ability to meet … Continue reading →

Oh dear…have you seen Magic Mike yet? It’s….good.  And not just for the greased up mancandy, for the plot yo!  Soderbergh knows what he’s about.   As I was driving home last night, I was thinking about all the pretty big deal life lessons that were addressed in the film, which is essentially about a man with a dream, stuck in a job he doesn’t love…sound familiar? Here is Magic Mike’s advice and life lessons for a fledgling entrepreneur.  Nothing too spoiler-y that you can’t discern from the trailers. People are darn comfortable with you, just the way you are. Which means, when you try to rise up, change jobs, launch your dream, create a better life for yourself, you’re often impacting the way that other people see you and interact with you.  If you’re lucky, they’ll roll with the evolution … Continue reading →

  Incidentally, Pathways to Gratefulness is happening in San Francisco this Saturday, June 23nd, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Palace of Fine Arts, S.F. However if you live afar, you can sign up to watch it online! Neat!   So what are you grateful for, right now? Share in the comments and if you’re inspired to develop a gratitude practice, share that too!

Are you a writer?  A photographer? A dancer? A singer? Do you have a creative vision that you work to express in the world?  If so, then at some point or another I’m sure you’ve been hit with writers block.  That feeling of inertia and uselessness around your gift and talent.  A moment where that voice in your head starts shouting at you that you’ve got nothing new or creative or interesting to give.  That you should just leave it to the ‘professionals’.  That feeling then gets bigger and bigger, making it too overwhelming to start, and it feels more and more inconceivable that you’ll ever create again.  Even more overwhelming can be when you don’t identify as one of these ‘creative types’ but your soul longs to express itself. “But I’m not an artist” you say.  You hold your … Continue reading →