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Hello Friends, This week, I'm thinking about scarcity and generosity and how those two things are often set up in opposition. That's partially true, of course. On the large scale, a lack of generosity creates scarcity, as wealth and resources are hoarded by a few. However, it is often those with the least who are the most generous of all. This is reflected in the old quip about poor people passing around the same twenty dollars. Sometimes one person's need is greater in the moment, and the other person has a bit more to spare. I'm thinking right now about my friends in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, dealing with hurricanes. I'm thinking about the people around the globe who don't have clean water, or ready access to food. I'm thinking about all of those impacted by missiles and bombs. You might be one of those people. I'm also thinking of the scores of people showing up to help, including some who barely have homes right now. You might be one of those people, too. The human impulse toward generosity is strong. Generosity is a form of deep caring. Generosity—sharing what we have—is a balm for heart and soul. Generosity connects us to the flow of creativity and life. When we unclench our hands and hearts, we connect. In my experience, that sense of connection always creates something worthwhile. The more centered I feel, the less anxious and in the grips of scarcity I feel. The more open I feel, the more generous I become. When I'm closed off from generosity, there is usually some underlying fear. How does that work in your life? What is your experience of tension and flow? What is your relationship to scarcity? What unlocks your generosity? And how does that make you feel? I'm talking the smallest acts of generosity: Holding a door for someone. Offering a listening ear. Buying someone lunch if you can afford it. Sharing skills or resources with neighbors and friends. This week, whether you are giving or receiving (or both!), I wish you some generosity, and a balm for your heart. Best wishes — Thorn News:For the month of October, 50% of proceeds from ThornCoyleBooks will go to hurricane relief. That includes my oracle deck and ebooks. Love cats in fiction? I'm part of a pay-what-you-can ebook bundle that starts at $5. A percentage goes to Best Friends Animal Society. There are ten books in this marvelous bundle: Cattitude StoryBundle
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Hello friends, I wrote this week’s newsletter in advance, because I’m camping with no cell service. It’s so good for my psyche to disconnect from electronics, stare at mountains, and walk along streams for a week. I’m a mind-racer, and this disconnection—like meditation or prayer—helps slow me down inside. The meditation on nature is always a gift to me, even in the small city where I live. For example, on the summer solstice, it was cool enough for me to take a long afternoon walk. I headed...
Hello friends, It’s Pride weekend, and I’m thinking of all the brave people who fought so hard to be allowed to simply exist. And I think of those who are still fighting, myself included. Do we want to fight? No. We’d rather just live our lives, do our work, laugh with friends, raise families, read books, and tend our gardens. Just like immigrants and other people under attack do. “The first Pride was a riot,” it is often said, and whether something is called a riot or an uprising depends on...
Hello friends, The yuccas are in full bloom right now, with dense clusters of creamy blossoms heavy as bells on tall stalks. This type of yucca is a spiky, unassuming plant when not in bloom, and then _bam_there is an astonishing wealth of flowers. While walking to a writing date the other week, I paused at a large grouping of these flowering plants, growing on the edge of a parking lot behind a chain link fence. The blossoms were buzzing with the activity of industrious bees. I paused a...