Karen Wilhelm Buckley
Wisdom, mindful presence, clarity and skill for our world
How precious breath has become. The wildfires in California fill the air with particles of ash from burning buildings, trees, and toxic dumps. Shallow breaths feel protective but exacerbate rising tension and anxiety. Now we cherish the breath that fills our lungs and quiets our nerves.
Moments of silence open us to a more expansive calm, to connection and shared purpose, to the unusual insight of the provocative idea. It may seem paradoxical but starting a meeting with a pause…..
With guest author Laura Derocher
Imagine a women’s leadership retreat about love, originally scheduled for the glorious island of Molokai, Hawaii. Now imagine that retreat morphing into an online Zoom gathering due to shelter-at-home guidelines during a global pandemic. You might expect that gathering to lose luster, be dreary and boring, its juiciness dampened by technology and distance. Not so. We felt deeply connected, as we explored the six lessons that inspired us to lead with love.
Fear and divisiveness fill the airwaves, threats seem imminent from all sides, and the world as we’ve known it is changing…It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, to disconnect, to struggle with the coldness of despair.
How can we change our experience? The answer lies with us. While many things are outside of our control, our inner landscape is ours to cultivate. Even when times are tough, we can change the channel, turn our inner dial towards love to remember what really matters.
For some reason, this particular day, this moment, this choice felt like a Turning Point—one of those forks in the road.
It’s hard to admit, but every now and then I slide into an outdated, yet familiar, groove of insufficiency: “Nothing is enough. I’m not enough.” I lose confidence, feel inept. It’s not much fun…but I don’t stay there long. Usually I slide back into a groove of confident enthusiasm and focused intention pretty quickly.
