Yesterday I presented an overview of my course scheduled for spring at Renaissance Institute! It was wonderful to see so many friends and hear about the other presentations being offered! The amount of creativity and talent in this world never ceases to amaze me!
I'm presenting Seeds, Roots and Routes - Our lives are rich with miraculous seeds - a thought, a smile, a class . . . Roots gather nutrients to help seeds grow. We will explore stories, legends and symbolism, protection and conservation, paintings, songs, short videos to illustrate parallels to our life experiences and journey. Bring a journal to reflect on your life’s seeds, roots and routes - past, present and future. When I journal, I add seeds at the bottom of the page. A seed may represent a new friend, a class, an idea, etc. When I review my pages at the end of the year it's interesting to see which have flourished, which have remained dormant and may sprout at a later time, and which are best to let fade away. Decades ago I attended a Brownie registration event in a church basement. I wanted to enroll my oldest daughter, Mycala, in a Girl Scout Brownie troop but they didn't have a leader. I was somehow recruited and loved working with the girls. That led to numerous volunteer positions and I was later hired as a training specialist, then adult education director. The seeds sprouted into numerous friendships that are alive and thriving today! My training in Girl Scouts was superlative.Francis Hesselbein, our CEO, raised the bar on every aspect of leadership. "Peter F. Drucker, the founding father of management, proclaimed Frances Hesselbein “the best CEO in America.” “She could manage any company in America, even General Motors, and do a great job,” Drucker said." ~ Management Matters Network When she was called to lead the Girl Scouts, Hesselbein sent all the troop leaders to a leadership training program at Harvard. She believed that it made the leaders feel better about themselves, commenting, “We thought they deserved to go to Harvard that they were the best.” That seed provided me with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to deliver fun and effective training with SMART goals and objectives, always using the experiential learning cycle as the base. One unexpected experience in a church basement changed every aspect of my life, leading me to complete my masters in training and become a certified instructor of trainers. It provided me with the opportunity to work with women and girls who were striving to live up to their best potential. Watching the girls in my Girl Scout Brownie troop, and others in our community, grow into community leaders has been a joy! Continuing friendships and experiences with women of sterling character has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. The seeds of opportunity are everywhere. Have you had an experience that changed every aspect of your life? Please share in the comments below!
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I love vision boards and goal settings, but if they aren't visual and engaging, I lose interest. I started making maps years ago and they keep me on task! Circling completed tasks gives me much more satisfaction thank checking off linear lists. If you are a creative, you may want to try this approach. The limbs from the my tree are based on my values. These have changed over the years, but always include health, relationships, creativity, and learning and education. Gratitude is alway at the base of my goals. If we don't appreciate what we have now, we'll never be content. Leave a space for seeds - people, places and/or things that may - or may not - flower and grow. Also included a space for completely unexpected opportunities! One year I took a trip to Paris and bought a house - both completely unplanned when I made my draft goal map! Life is over flowing with possibilities. Leave a space for them!
The last few weeks have been overflowing with color and kitsch, both here in Baltimore and on recent travels. Seeing so many vibrant creations - kinetic and still sculptures, statues. screens, jewelry and even menus was a whimsical delight. From now on, in addition to museums, natural and historic sites, and more typical tourist attractions, I plan to seek out whimsy when I'm touring! I returned with my sketch book over flowing and numerous ideas for gifts, home and garden! Baltimore, MD Kinetic Sculpture Race On Saturday, May 5, we headed to the harbor early to see the start of the kinetic sculpture race, followed by lunch at Marie Louise Bistro and a stroll through historic Mt. Vernon for their annual Flower Mart. Baltimore's Visionary Art Museum's annual kinetic sculpture race - "a race through Baltimore of wacky, imaginative, TOTALLY HUMAN-POWERED WORKS OF ART, DESIGNED TO TRAVEL ON LAND, THROUGH MUD, AND OVER DEEP BALTIMORE INNER HARBOR WATERS, constructed out of used bicycles, gears, and parts, created by a lunatic genius who tinkers around in the garage or backyard. Carlisle, PAJim Thorpe, PA This is just a small sampling of the delights in Jim Thorpe. I've narrowed the number of photos down by focusing on all things Alice in Wonderful! And back to Baltimore, MD The Paper Moon Diner Even the menus were fun! Some of the interior decorations were a little bizarre, but it's all in fun! ![]() An Unhurried Adventure in Creative Mindfulness |
"My mission is to help others see and cherish the beauty, romance and treasures within and around them that are often dismissed or completely overlooked." Categories
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MikellMikell is a writer, artist and professional treasure hunter, finding the greatest treasures in the wonderful people who enter her life! |