Sleepwalking No More
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Hello friends, While out running errands the other day, I paused to snap a photo of a sticker on a concrete barrier. The sticker read, in bold print, Realize You’re Alive. It seems like a simple injunction, doesn’t it? Too obvious to say out loud. Of course we realize we’re alive! We’re breathing, aren’t we? We’re thinking. Moving through the world… But do we actually pause long enough to feel this? This thing called us, on this planet, rotating in space, living. How often are we sleepwalking through life, rather than actively living? Is our morning routine rote, or intentional? Do we notice our surroundings as we walk or drive or take the bus to work? How much consciousness is sunken into our internal complaints? Do we pause to notice and breathe? To make a choice about what comes next? We all make choices, every moment of the day, but all too often, they are choices made by default. It’s a powerful thing to consciously choose. If life has become too filled with routine, the start of a new year—no matter how arbitrary a marker—is a great time to make small changes. We can re-set our intentions and strategize on how to follow through. We can commit to a series of small daily choices. What kind of year would you like to have? What facets of that are in your control? What are three small shifts in attitude or habit you can make to bring about what you want, need, or desire? May we all cultivate lives filled with presence and choice. Best wishes - Thorn I'll be launching a revised, expanded edition of Resistance Matters on Kickstarter, January 21st. To be notified upon launch, please click the link!
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T. Thorn Coyle
“Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.” — Mary “Mother” Harris Jones Hello friends, It’s a rainy day in Portland, Oregon. Outside my window, cars shush by on slick dark streets. Autumn leaves catch the moisture from the sky as fluffy squirrels dart about, preparing for the coming cold. Last night, we made dinner, setting out a plate for the ancestors. We lit up a giant Jack O’Lantern on the porch, to beckon any spirits wandering by, ready to appease them with treats, should...
Hello friends, On a walk in the soft rain of the atmospheric river that just arrived to the Pacific Northwest, I saw two small maple trees whose leaves had already turned orange-red. Some of the maples in the neighborhood are still green, or just turning yellow, but these two were in full autumnal celebration mode. So, of course I walked across the street to get a closer look. When I looked up, I was delighted at the display. The leaves looked like ethereal dancers, turning this way and that,...
Hello friends, I was at a magical event with old friends and new last weekend, in the woods of Northern California. In some parts of space were big hearts made of slate slabs. The thing I liked about these hearts were that: Being made of slate, the hearts could support weight. Someone had taken the time and effort to carve the shapes. The hearts had clearly been nestled in the earth for years, greeting everyone who walked by. All of this was a reminder to me that a little inspiration and...