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Showing posts from July, 2020

What Would Your Enchantment Say?

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Over the weekend, I attended a virtual workshop called On Being Human with Jen Pastiloff, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Krista Vernoff. It was two hours of self-reflection and affirmation through writing, music, and movement. One of the writing prompts from Elizabeth Gilbert had us thinking about enchantment - that special kind of charm you'd recognize in a child when she's blowing bubbles or chasing a butterfly. Joy. Wonder. Beauty. Enchantment. She had us write a letter to ourselves that began like this: Dear [your name],  I am your Enchantment, and this is what I want to tell you. And could include lines like: The last time I saw you was... I really like it when you... The person/action that makes me leave the room is... I am most at home when... She encouraged us to write freely whatever came to mind, to open ourselves to the world of magic and wonder. This was my letter. Dear Lisa, I am your Enchantment, and this is what I want to tell you. The last time I saw you was last night

Dipped In Beauty: Finding renewal and breaking out of your rut

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In March, at the beginning of the pandemic, I was glad to stay home. As an introvert and homebody, the mandate didn't scare me.  If anything, I was already used to it.  I quit working six years ago due to my  disability , and with limited physical strength, my activity level was minimal. I thought to myself, I've got this. I listened to others as they struggled with the homebound changes and secretly thought, Welcome to my life. Gradually, I began to miss my occasional outings to physical therapy, massage, and book club, but I was still content in my house. Nine weeks in, I wrote about the difficulty in finding Doorways. I spoke of seeing the light through the cracks in the darkness and gave a list of ways to find them for yourself. I was challenged yet hopeful about my days at home. Then my state entered Phase Two of its reopening plan, and people began venturing out again.  However, I had to watch the slow return from my couch. My complex health issues put me in the "at