POETRY

Maya Angelou (1993). Wouldn' Take Nothing For My Journey Now.

Angelou is best known for her poetry...never graduated high school, dropped out because he was pregnant, raised a son on her own mostly, eventually became a writer, a published poet and story-teller, awarded honorary doctrates.

some of the hard won wisdom from hard life experiences:

traveling to other cultures shows our common humanity--we all cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die

take pleasure in small things, like playing cards and laughing with others--all gift

there are people who went to sleep last night and will never wake again--those dead folks would give anything for just another hour or day to live...so let's not complain....if we don't like something, change it, and if we can't, change the way we think about it [AMEN SISTER!]

everyone needs to take a day away--24 hours to do nothing, just wander, withdraw from the cares of the world...works like a spring tonic [i would call this a "retreat of sorts"]

 

taking this last idea of a "day away," and inspired by Chester Michael's retreat advice, I've adopted the following:

1 hour a day away to meditate/pray

3 hour a week

24 hours a month

1 week a year

...i'm pretty good at breaking up the day into two "away times" from 30-60 mins, 3 hours cumulative on the weekend, but not regularly 24 hours a month, and never have i been away from everyone and everything familiar, "doing nothing,"for 1 continuous week...

the key for me seems to be in the continuous length of time away...as the time grows, like on a 48 hour retreat at The Well Retreat Center, there is an untethering process that takes place, a new kind of freedom and perspective...it's very rare and precious...

i hope you can create the time and space to experience this unthethering and freedom...during such times, all life can come into its proper rhythm with clarity and determination.