Inspiration

"I’m writing a book right now called Inside Out: Discovering Your First Person Point of View, and I think what I’ve been able to do in the last year for myself is to quiet the noise and to listen to the whispering voice on the inside of me. I’ve often told people that that voice only needs to whisper because it’s powerful. Power does not need volume to have an audience, and the audience that is really important right now in our lives is the audience of one – you. " Phillip Gornail

I came across this piece from LinedIn - The Get Inspired Project by Jim Reese. I was inspired and thought you might find it inspiring also.

Being quiet to be powerful struck me as intriguing. I realized that the moments in my life when I have felt connected to a power most often occur when I am out in the quiet with nature. Kayaking across a still lake on a warm sunny afternoon. Having my breath taken away by the beauty of a garden or a mountainside covered in flowers. Listening to the waves crash on the seashore. Listening to the call of the loon. Sitting in the sunshine reading. Watching the clouds float across the sky.

The whispering voice in me caressing my soul, instructing, reassuring and inviting. All is well with the world at these times and I come back to the busy city life renewed, refreshed and inspired!

When do you hear the whispering voice inside of you?

It's Not Like The West

I heard it again! "It's not like the West" Aaagh!

How many times have I heard this since moving to Muscat? Too many! This time, I was invited to be a guest speaker at an International Women's Conference and it showed up during the refreshment break. And once again, it made me stop and ponder - what is the "West" like?

What is Canada like? Surely Canada is the "West" they are speaking about.

In my home city of Winnipeg, it is not uncommon to hear 28 different dialects being spoken on the streets in one day.

In one week I would go to an Indian restaurant for butter chicken, a Thai restaurant for red curry coconut chicken soup, a Japanese restaurant for Sushi, an Italian restaurant for pasta and perhaps end the week with perogies and sausage at a Ukrainian restaurant. The weekends were often reserved for hour of eating Dim Sum in Chinatown. A culinary delight!

Oh at times I do miss the multiculturalism of Canada.! Balanced with this is how thrilling it is to be learning a great deal about Arabian cultures! As an added bonus, there is a very large expatriate community of Indians here and I am learning a fair bit about Indian cultures!

Till we meet again,

In'sha'allah (God Willing)

Perceptions

Two worlds in a week!

One - Sri Lanka, war torn, poverty, expansive natural beauty. I was overwhelmed with the abundance of flora and fauna in this country. On our climb up Adam's Peak there were men, women and children of all ages, completing the climb barefoot, with smiles as wide as their faces and eyes as bright as the sun.

The other world - I was ever so fortunate to be invited to an Arabic ladies wedding in Oman, the marriage of a young man and a young lady from very wealthy and powerful families. It is the Oman tradition to have first the mans wedding and then the ladies wedding. This seems strange to Western ears I understand. I again was overwhelmed with the natural beauty but this time it was the beauty of the women. Words cannot explain the array of gems both on the women and their gowns. Unfortuantely pictures were not allowed. A different world, but women of all ages gathering, sharing friendship joy and laughter. Different costumes and yes, soon the shoes were gone and the ladies were dancing barefoot! Smiles as wide as their faces and eyes sparkling like diamonds!

Different circumstances, different life experiences but my perception was the same - I saw pure joy in each. I am happy to say I got beyond the appearances of both, the rich and the poor, and got to the light and love shining from inside!

How do your perceptions influence what you see?

Welcome to my first blog.

Welcome to Coach Approach subscribers. I hope you enjoy the new format.
Welcome to new followers. I hope you enjoy the blog.
Just got back from Sri Lanka. From the desert to the jungle in four hours! WOW!
My son, Joey, and I climbed to the top of Adam's Peak, a four hour climb up very steep steps and four hours down the same steep steps. The reward: watching the sun rise over the mountains with Buddhist monks drumming and chanting in the background. The reward: we survived! a very tough climb!
What would you do if you were ten times braver?