Jan29
Posted on Jan 29 by Ruth Davis
I am writing. Not just blog posts and my Mac tips, but real writing with sturdy nouns and persuasive adjectives, full delicious sentences that appear on the page as if by magic. Writing that isn’t about making a point or sharing information or already knowing what I want to say. I’m writing from a deeper, more creative place. And yes, I have a book in the back of my mind, but I’m not writing for it to be a book or published article in a magazine. I’m just writing. I’ve been making excuses for months, years, really, about why I don’t have the time or the energy for this kind of writing. But really, WHEN I AM WRITING LIKE THIS I GET ENERGIZED! Writing is one of my very favorite things to do. I get lost in it. Time has no meaning when I am following a sentence on the page, finding the absolutely perfect way to describe the bending shadows of a tree or how it feels the day after you meet a favorite author. Some days the...
Jan15
Posted on Jan 15 by Ruth Davis
Life is funny sometimes. We tend to avoid what we need and want the most. And then circumstances happen and we are suddenly faced with exactly what we weren’t able to give to ourselves. Leaning into it, accepting it, can be a challenge. But when we are able to be grateful for the experience, magic can happen. Several weeks ago I tweaked my back (again) and spent five days resting, moving slowly, doing virtually nothing. I couldn’t walk the dogs or do the laundry or run errands. I couldn’t sit at my computer for very long. I couldn’t do any of the things that I usually do to distract me from my heart work. But it was such a gift, really, to have my body step in for me and give me what I most needed–time to let go and do nothing. Because it is in this quiet space of stillness that we can choose to release the struggle and begin to ask, what do we really want. The weeks leading up to my tweaked back had been very...
Jan01
Posted on Jan 1 by Ruth Davis
Do you begin the year with a list of New Year’s Resolutions? Things you swear you are going to do or not do that will make this year different than all the rest? And then, just a few weeks into the year, you realize you’ve abandoned your list, slacked off on all of the things you swore would be different this time? And you feel pretty down on yourself? Face it, resolutions are a great concept, but they’re usually goal oriented and don’t address HOW to achieve what we want. Here are some simple suggestions to help you focus more on the HOW of the changes you want to make in your life. 1. Take some time to discover what you really want 2. Be brave and say it out loud 3.Join an online coaching circle 4. Be open to opportunities that may not look like your original vision 5. Do more of what you love 6. Hang out with people you admire 7. Find more balance between your body, mind and spirituality 8. Say NO more often to...
Dec18
Posted on Dec 18 by Ruth Davis
I am back in California and I am so grateful for this freedom that I have created for myself to be able to move between places and appreciate the joys of each of them. As I drove back with the strong intention of focusing these next three months on writing my book, I realized that I have long dreamed of spending a winter at the beach and writing. For years I thought it would be in Cape Cod. I even had a friend who invited me to stay in her cottage in Wellfleet and I would just have to pay for the heat. But winter can be brutally cold there and most of the stores and restaurants close for the season. And there are no fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter. But here, in Paradise Park, there is a lovely balance of solitude and community. It is my perfect sweatshirt weather, and I have the time and space to walk and notice and write. And there are farmers markets all year round. So I’m taking my time to...
Dec11
Posted on Dec 11 by Ruth Davis
We love stories. We enjoy the telling of a person’s life, the happenings in a dream, great descriptions of people and places. But often, we begin to believe that the stories we know and tell ourselves are the only truths. We convince ourselves that, because, in the past, when we did this, the result was that, therefore, it will always be that way. That because the last time you went to a party where you didn’t know anyone, you were ignored and uncomfortable, so anytime you go somewhere where you don’t know anyone, the same thing will happen. Or that because every time you’ve submitted a piece of writing, it was rejected, you’ll never submit anything again for fear of another rejection. We all have these repeating stories. And, because they are based in truth, we believe them. We hold them up and say, see, I’m not making this up. When I do that, this happens. But, if we are truly writing our own life stories, then isn’t it possible to write a new ending, even a brand...
Nov27
Posted on Nov 27 by Ruth Davis
Native Americans have a tradition called The Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing, often called “smudging,” which is a powerful cleansing ritual. Herbs and incense are burned with the idea that smoke attaches to negative energy and, as the smoke clears, it takes the negative energy with it. Smudging is not the process of eliminating or killing anything, but is simply the shifting of energies so that there is a balance of positive and negative. Here is an opportunity for you to bless and balance this space you have created in yourself and in your life. What you will need: some incense (sage, cedar and sweet grass are most commonly used in traditional smudging) two pieces of paper matches or a lighter a big glass of water (just in case) a well ventilated room or a place outdoors a metal baking dish or non-flammable bowl Light the incense and slowly take a few breaths to relax yourself and come to the present moment. Feel the space inside of you that you have created. Notice what it feels like, if any emotions...
