If we could look at the world in a loving way, then the world would rise up before us full of invitation, possibility and depth
–John O’Donohue
Dear Friends:
The other day on a morning break, I walked down the lane into the soggy field by the creek and gazed up at the blazing sun. The warmth and brightness of the light felt particularly inviting, given the previous two days of dark skies and nonstop rain. In fact, had it rained so much during those days the creek was gushing with water and on a couple occasions I had to forego my usual crossing point for one farther downstream. Here I leapt from one bank to the other, which felt exhilarating. I realized how much I missed leaping, so I made the decision to do it more often, not only on my excursions around the island, but also in my creative work and life.
When I was working as an editor at Toronto Life magazine in the late 1980s but wishing to write, the publisher, told me “all artists must leap.” His advice was the catalyst to help me quit my full-time job to become a freelancer, fulfilling one of my deepest desires.
While leaping can be scary, it brings immense rewards. And the leaps we make can be a small as taking fifteen minutes to write about a pivotal moment or a half-hour to complete a story we’ve written, especially if we haven’t given ourselves permission to take any creative time. The leap may also be to look at everything in your world with loving eyes, and as O’Donohue wrote, see the invitations, possibilities, and depth that await you.
In my new ten-week program “Writing as a Sacred Journey,” which now starts February 15, one of the core practices is to connect to the heart, from which you can look with loving eyes at everything around you to open to what you’ve been missing. Life then becomes an invitation, a journey to explore deeper awareness, joy, wonder, and other gifts.
The course will also offer many other practices, enriching and renewing your life. You can engage in the practices for as little as two hours a week to receive immense benefits. Included in this self-paced course are: ten email packages with discussions and practices, a one-on-one hour consultation and half-hour follow up in person, phone, or Skype, a private website to share comments/writing with others, and email support. Contact me if you have questions or would like to register.
May the seeds you’ve gathered all winter be nurtured to germinate and flower in coming months.
With Love
Lorraine
Ongoing: one-on-one consultations and manuscript development/editing