I'm a big David Whyte fan - he has TONS of reflective fodder. Listen to this clip of David reading out his poem, "Everything is Waiting for You."  (If you find it hard to listen with the steel-pan music playing, click here to read the poem on David's website). 

Take some time to notice what comes up for you when you read or hear this poem.
​Here are a few questions to get the kettle singing...

Reflective poetry moxie:

• What drama am I ready to release?
• What is waiting for me on the other side of it?
• What intimacy is available in my immediate surroundings?
• What new conversation with life will I ease into?

The question about "what new conversation with life will I ease into" is a personal hot topic in my journal right now, inspired by David's Huffington Post article, "The Questions that Have No Right to Go Away". Read it here.

Caravan on!
Tammy Rose

I can be a thoughtful, intense and deep thinker which is exactly why I purposefully seek out little things that lift me up and make me feel a little more playful, a lot lighter and not bogged down in circling thoughts.
​
This song does it for me…it’s upbeat, catchy, and not what I would typically listen to at all. Take a listen and then come back to dig around. 
 

• Reflect on something you feel confused about or challenged by. What if you viewed that confusion with the unwavering belief that you have the power to BE, the power to GIVE, and the power to SEE your way through it? What’s possible from that place?
• Who do you need to BE right now?
• What do you want to GIVE (to yourself and others)? How will the act of giving help your current challenge?
• What will help you SEE clearly? Or what's a new perspective?
• Why the hell does (the topic that has you confused) mean something to you? Really, why the hell?

 Caravan on,
Tammy Rose

Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place in the family of things.
- Mary Oliver 

Reflective Poetry Moxie:​

• Which line of the poem stands out? What does it evoke in you or inform you of?
• What are the “wild geese” calling to you? How can you use this "calling" to support or guide yourself right now?
• What will help you announce your place in the "family of things"? What will allow you to love what you love? How will you use this connection + passion to drive your work/life?

I could write a billion reflective prompts/questions on this one poem. I'll stop here before we both get overwhelmed with inquiry overload. Choose one, or craft your own. Stay in the emotion and imagery of the poem and post your thoughts below and add to the wild geese exploration!

Caravan on!
Tammy Rose

No, I did not turn into eccentric cat lady overnight (but thinking my ECL might be rather bad ass and maybe I should try it). The reason a feline is filling up the blog page today is to offer you a metaphor to play with in your own reflection and inner caravan journey.

A senior supervisor I was coaching with was feeling big time STUCK about how to deal with a particular work situation that involved the potential for high conflict. Can you relate? For many, conflict can feel heavy, anxiety ridden and most of us would rather ignore that the whole thing is going down. That wasn't an option here. 

Together we hunted for the truth and different ways to apply her wisdom to the situation, which was NOT coming easily. New possibilities opened up when she went with the ridiculous (insert ECL now)!  

"I will approach this like my cat! If I start to feel unsure, I'll imagine rolling on my back like my cat does and look at the situation upside down and not from my position of "saving face". For my cat, life's not really so serious, I'm confident here, can relax back and let the other person solve the issue for themselves". MEOW.  (insert a little cat attitude + personality here).  

​Sometimes all we need is to "get out of our head" and one way of looking at things. Metaphors like this open the channels to our higher creativity which creates new solution making pathways.
​
It CAN be that easy to move through a block!

Metaphor Challenge:

• What's different if you imagine how a cat (or any animal) would respond to a situation that has you feeling stuck/lost/unsure? 
• Purposefully use at least 2 metaphors this week to help you look at things differently. 

Caravan on,
Tammy Rose