Wisdom Week Wrap-Up July 28
Quotes that are food for thought
So many great quotes come out of my conversations with my guests! This is a weekly piece with some words that might just get you thinking.
“My story is one of doing what you’re supposed to do and following the path and then realizing that that’s not a good fit.” -Laura Lynch
How many of us have been there, done that? How many of us are brave enough to dance to a different drummer?
This quote certainly hits home with me as I prepare to move from Prescott, AZ to Idaho. Why you wonder? The mountains and lakes of Idaho touch my soul. I love winter sports and Sun Valley is not far away. As a foodie, farmers markets are a mainstay of my life, wherever I travel, and I welcome having multiple markets to choose from.
As all my friends are retiring and enjoying “the good life,” I am driven by something different. I love interviewing people and hearing their stories. I love extracting the wisdom from their tales, to benefit us all. I love public speaking and sharing the collective wisdom that comes from my guests.
I have a theory about how we navigate life. I think most of us spend the first half of our lives living a societally prescribed path: school, work, house, car, family. And then, if we’re lucky and wise, at midlife we wake up to question it all. I often say that the first half of our lives we have all these demands and expectations heaped upon us and then we spend the second half pealing it all back to see who we really are.
Laura Lynch isn’t waiting til midlife to follow her soul. She’s making bold choices now. It’s a great story, no matter where you are in your life. Click here to visit the website and watch/listen/read about Laura’s story.
“Laughter is a circuit breaker or something that just interrupts that pattern.” -Kim McIntyre
As I was posting Kim’s episode this week, she reminded me to keep laughter in my bag of mental health tricks. I became very serious about mental health going through six years of cancer treatments. My mind, I realized, could be my greatest ally or foe. I chose the path of ally. And laughter is one of the greatest tricks to peace. Put it in your arsenal for well being. If they could bottle this stuff, it would be worth a fortune! And it’s free. Click here to visit the website and watch/listen/read about Kim’s story.
“The whole trick of it is to learn to dis-identify from the mind. The minds knows facts but has no wisdom. Wisdom comes from the heart.” -Pragito Dove
Pragito studied with Osho, a spiritual leader and teacher in India. She returned to the States with heart felt wisdom which she shares with everyone. Part of her wisdom touches on the value of laughter and laughter meditation. I have to say, having been to some of her classes, she is onto something. From the website:
“Laughter clears the throat chakra and connects us to our soul. The connection is often disrupted by suppressed emotions such as anger, pain and fear. And these emotions suppress our joy, laughter, playfulness, sense of fun, and creativity. Removing these negative emotions opens up one’s world. And laughter meditation is both a fun and effective way to do this.
In laughter mediation the combination of expressive energy (laughing) juxtaposed with the silence of a short mediation, clears the mind. It’s simple and powerful. And laughter mediation is something that anyone can master.”
So there are no excuses not to meditate! Unless, of course, it doesn’t make you smile. But I’m not sure that’s possible. Learn more about Pragito here.