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I am always amazed at the simple blessings in life.
Yesterday morning I walked to the end of the
driveway to get the newspaper. It was that magical
time when the sky is beginning to turn a rich blue as
the sun rises. The full moon was hanging just above
the mountains, shining brightly. I could barely see
the outline of a cloud bank underneath it. In the
early morning quite, I was struck by the beauty and
wonder all around us and felt overwhelmed with joy
and gratitude. It is such simple things that bless us
each and everyday if only we look for them.
In the last two newsletters, I have talked
about "New Year's Revolutions" and systems to help
you achieve your goals. Now let's talk about living
a "great life".
A great life has nothing to do
with being rich and famous. Everyone can think of
executives, rock stars and professional athletes who
have a lot of money, but not a great life. The
definition of a great life is not the same for everyone,
but it is well within your reach. I hope these
thoughts inspire you to define a great life for
yourself.
A great life has a overarching
purpose, a unifying theme and vision. It is a way of
life that is chosen and lived in the service of a
greater purpose. And it is not just spent, it is
invested in others.
Secondly, a great life
makes a great contribution and uses its talents and
abilities to make the world a better place by standing
up, speaking out and getting things done. A great
life makes a difference and leaves the world a better
place than it was before.
And lastly, a great
life leaves a path for others to follow. It is wonderful
to do great things, but even better to teach others
to follow you. A great life leaves a legacy and
inspires the next generation to dream bigger and do
more.
I hope you are not thinking that you
don't or can't have a great life. Not so! Have you
raised your children to be responsible loving adults?
You have a great life. Have you spent time with
children, teaching and nurturing them? You have a
great life. Have you taken a deep breath and asked
once more that your child pick up their room, when
you really wanted to scream? That's right, you have
a great life. Unfortunately, I don't have
millions to give for medical research like Bill Gates.
Sadly, I don't have a nationally syndicated talk show
like Oprah. Nor will I find a cure for cancer or HIV.
But my goal is to have a great life by making the
world a better place one person at a
time.
Thanks to those of you who
responded to my question about allowing men to
attend Soul Food. Overwhelmingly, you want Soul
Food for women. I agree. And I am totally
convinced that if, as women, we got together and
used our energy and talents we would create a much
better world. How's that for a unifying vision?
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Summary of "Do Real Women Need a Kitchen?" with Mary Collette Rogers.
Getting Back To Cooking.
At our last Soul Food luncheon, the topic was the
kitchen and the food in it. Wow, there are a lot of
things we don't like about the kitchen. Cooking can
be a lot of work and we have to clean up
afterwards! We would rather not cook for others;
the picky kids and meat-and-potatoes husband.
Cooking can be very time consuming, especially if you
don't have good equipment. And sometimes shopping
is a lot of hassle!
But as Mary explained,
being in the kitchen
is very good and doesn't have to be a hassle. When
we left the kitchen, some of us became hostage to
the fast-food industry, which has turned out to be
detrimental to the health of ourselves and our family.
The first thing to do is to get rid of the guilt and
make cooking a creative process. Maybe on crazy
days, you serve leftovers or soup and sandwiches.
That's healthier than McDonald's.
Next, be
proactive. Plan out a few meals and make a grocery
list accordingly. Keep frozen veggies and canned
goods on hand for quick meals.
Mary had a
great chart to follow for those nights when you have
no idea what to make for dinner. Start with veggies,
add protein or pasta and spice it up! Remember that
it doesn't have to be fancy or time consuming; it only
has to be nutritious.
As Mary and I talked
later, we were amazed at the emotional response to
food and the kitchen. We came up with an idea for a
workshop addressing the spiritual, emotional, and
just "how to" of being in the kitchen. Then everyone
attending would help prepare a meal and we would all
share in it together. Mary and I feel that this is an
area of life that is not addressed. Women either love
food or hate it. Please give Mary or me your
feedback about our idea! And be sure to visit Mary's
website at www.everydaygoodeating.com
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February 8 - "The Dark Goddesses" with Ruby Rain.
Ancient Lessons for Working with the Feminine Shadow
From Goddess to priestess to prophetess to sybil
oracle to ordinary wife, mother, whore, the historic
degeneration of women in both cult and home -
particularly well known in the case of Mary
Magdalena - demand that you heal your own
understanding and experience of Her in your body
and soul. With the help of a powerful fusion method
of ancient mystery techniques and contemporary self-
hypnosis, you will learn how to empower yourself via
the integration of your very own Dark Goddess! Ruby's
four steps use the analytical, intuitive, kinesthetic
and mystical functions of your brain to give you a
sensory experience that informs and delights AND you
take home an invaluable tool for continued inner
exploration.
Ruby Rain, interfaith rabbi,
clinical hypnotherapist, artist, creates cross-cultural
weddings, funerals and other rites of passage, and
she creates works of art. Child of a holocaust
survivor and Israeli war veteran, Ruby teaches inner
and outer peace by integrating the best of the
Hebrew Biblical heritage with the latest discoveries in
history, archeology, and mysticism.
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Join us for these warm and engaging
gatherings.
- Sunflower Restuarant, 1701 Pearl Street at 17th
and Pearl in Boulder
- 11:45 am to 1:15 pm
- Cost is $25.00 including lunch
Please RSVP by 5:00 pm the preceding Wednesday by
e-mail or at 720.849.2892. As always your
promptness is appreciated, or come early to meet
new women and network.
Grace and Peace,
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