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November 2006In this Issue: Gratitude |
I hope your Thanksgiving turned well and you enjoyed communion and connection with family and friends. In terms of major holidays, I find there is an air of sincerity during Thanksgiving that I find supportive and nourishing. The gathering always reminds me that when I feel slightly down, or even sorry for myself, I can make a gratitude list… 10 things and/or people that I’m grateful for. The practice of making a gratitude list never fails to work wonders for my mood. Here’s my list: breath, close friends, the park by my home, my son, daughter, and my companion’s kids, that my companion has her own spiritual practice, meditation, creativity, Old Frog Pond Farm and its inhabitants, my coaching clients, my new Saturn. This year, I intend to bring the purity of Thanksgiving into the much more commercial holiday season, which is just around the corner. With love, If you'd like to share this issue with a friend, they can view the newsletter online at http://www.seanleclaire.com/ezine/. If you'd prefer not to receive future issues of Be The Change, click the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this message. GRATITUDEIn the early 90’s, while living and traveling in my blue van, I met a genuine Guru, Baba Hari Dass… a child-like, whirlwind of a man who leads the Mt. Madonna ashram in Watsonville, California. He is a silent Guru, in that he only speaks via gesture and chalkboard. And, of course, in the language beyond words that is private to Guru and student. One Saturday I waited for hours in line, eager to tell Guru something. I had been practicing yoga and meditation for five to seven hours a day for some time. The natural consequence of such practice was that I had become more sensitive, more subtle. I was experiencing the ability to “see” into people’s hearts and minds. I literally knew what people were feeling and thinking much of the time. This both unnerved folks I met and startled me. I felt a faint sense of mission. But I wasn’t sure what to do. Much of my life had been the chase for recognition and power and prestige. I had worked hard to win in school and sports and business. Serving others had not been my way in the world. When I got to the front of the line, I knelt. I did not kiss Guru’s feet and I blurted, rather proudly, “I know what people are thinking and feeling.” Guru smiled. He made a few markings on his chalkboard that lay in his lap. The Guru flipped the slate around and showed me the words. “Then help them!” A three-word injunction to serve! What was implicit in Guru’s direction was that he was urging me to stop making a big deal about being able to perceive what was going on with folks. The Guru knew I was, indeed, telling the truth in terms of my increased perception. So he directed me with a smile and marching orders. “Then help them!” Along the infinite paths to becoming Present, my teachers have taken many forms. I’ve been blissed-out with some, blasted by others and blessed by a few. The best have pointed to the Light, while helping me face and befriend my shadow. My benchmark for how deep the latest Guru infusion, or stunning morning meditation, has permeated my thick, ever-evasive and cunning ego is measured precisely by how well my relationships in the world are going. Not the external result, not whether people like me, respect me, or whether I am getting what I think that I want. The litmus test is how I respond to each situation—whether I choose love or fear. I’m grateful for that Guru and other teachers in my life. I think it’s about time for me to go back and see that Guru, the guy and his chalkboard! Just to sit with him. I’ve learned that knowing what people are thinking and feeling is easy—just pay attention. Ask questions. Be present. Listen.BODY-CENTERED BREAKS (BCBs)The Body-Centered Break is a body-focused inquiry and awareness meditation lasting only two minutes and done whenever and wherever you are in your day. Benefits as described by coaching clients include: calmness of mind, overall sense of well-being, sharpened mental focus, reduced anxiety, increased ability of autonomous nervous system to recover rapidly from stress, and an increased capacity for learning. CLICK here for an audio-guided BCB at any time you feel the need to slow down and center into yourself. Enjoy the Benefits NOW! HeadRest Radiate QuietMind SteamValve SHARED WISDOMWhen I’m grateful, I have very little energy left for negative thinking. POEMWhat I Place on the Altar of My Life Stones, gathered in the sweet soil of time Silver, shaped by an Iroquois chief Son, swaddled gift of innocence Companion, delighted by the depth of her longing Candle, carved by a cluster of white bees Sean Casey LeClaire INQUIRYWhat trouble won't I be grateful for in my life? EVENTS AND WORKSHOPSMy coaching colleague and friend Marie-Lou Kuhne is offering a powerful program for women to gather and engage the topic of leadership. http://www.women-leading-change.com/ RIGHT ACTIONWatch the film “The World’s Fastest Indian,” an endearing story of Burt Munro and his dream.
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© 2006 Sean Casey LeClaire, all rights reserved. |
