Courage | Curiosity | Creativity
Notes and Musings from Dr Judy Brown and guests writers circling the topics of leadership, stewardship, poetry, creativity, diversity, dialogue and appreciative inquiry and renewal.
People often ask me if I offer open enrollment programs that they can sign up for and generally, the answer is no. But, coming up this fall I am co-hosting an open workshop--Bread for the Journey--which brings together poets and poetry lovers to explore the renewing power of poetry in our lives.
Read MoreI love this season of the transformation of trees. They go through remarkable changes. This picture of River Tree (I have named her that) reminds me of the transformation and how unpredictable is the unfolding of things. River Tree could be described as the offshoot of a tree long gone, that has grown over the creek, and looks most days as if it is about to fall in the water. But never does. Some limbs are leafy. Some bare. The trunk has shoots growing straight up--suckers are what tree people call them. Usually they get trimmed off. But not with River Tree. She is this wild mix of limbs and shoots and sprouts. Hanging out over the water. Yet how powerful, how spectacular the effect of the light of sunset last night on this tree (however you want to think about the Light as a metaphor in our lives...).
Read MoreThough written in the aftermath of my father's choice to end his life, now twenty years ago, when he was in the late stages of pancreatic cancer, I hope this personal reflection can help and support others as they engage in courageous conversations about what people hope for as they approach the end of life.
The experience and the writing of the book happened a decade before, by chance and good fortune, I began creating leadership development programs for nonprofit organizations that serve elders. So what was a family story for me, now is a much larger society-wide dialogue.
Read MoreI've been thinking a lot about the work of Carol Dweck about two contrasting mindsets-- the first is the growth mindset where we think that intelligence and other ability is malleable. And if we keep working at it we will do better.
The second is what she calls a fixed mindset--where we think talents and intelligence are pretty much a given. Fixed. And when I hit a setback it means I'm not as smart as they tell me.
Read MoreOne of life’s gifts is crossing paths with remarkable people and whether we will see them again or not is always a mystery. Here is a poem that muses about the mystery of the connection and the memories that stay with us.
Read MoreA few days ago, working with leaders from nonprofits who serve elders, I opened with a poem. When we took a break, one of the executives whose leadership experience before entering eldercare was in the military, asked me "Why don't you leave a moment of silence after you read a poem?"
I was startled. And appreciative of his question. I'm a great proponent of the power of silence--as you can see in the poem of mine that follows--but with poems, especially my own, I have a hard time practicing what I preach.
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Greetings from the Washington DC's snowstorm's path. It began to snow about an hour ago. We have a fire going in the wood stove, and lots of soup. Flights cancelled. My work trip to San Antonio has been postponed to Monday. And I feel like a kid who doesn't have to go to school.
I came away from last week's poetry gathering at Kirkridge--Bread for the Journey--thinking of the power of encouragement in the lives of those who love poetry and those who write it.
Eighty-four of us gathered for four days--listening to poets and poetry. And to stories about poets and their poetry. And everywhere were stories of encouragement.
Read MoreToday's poetry post brings me this
reminder--both practical and
metaphorical. Nothing like having
ones own words show up as a
surprise!
Read More"Here we are between Winter and Spring. For such a season, here's a brief poem from " Steppingstones"
Read MoreLately I've been thinking about what helps us have a strong voice and a clear perspective about as Oprah says, "what we know for sure". Solitude helps. Time to think. Conversations with wise friends help.
Read MoreThese past few days I've been at Case Western Reserve University for a huge gathering focused on human and environmental flourishing. It was a celebrational time as the focus was our new book Flourishing Enterprise; the new spirit of business.
The remarkable synchronicity of chance meetings and the joy of seeing old friends was huge for me.
I met wonderful people through my work with poetry and sat with strangers only to find we had heart connections and good friends in common.
Toward the end of the time there I was thanking Bruce Cryer, former CEO of HeartMath, for wonderful comments about the power of the arts as a force for health. He handed me his card and there was the name of his latest venture: What makes your heart sing?
Just because it isn't finished
Doesn't mean it can't be useful.
I've wrapped the scarf I'm knitting
around my neck.
It keeps me comfy
As I continue knitting
On the yet unfinished end.
It makes me wonder
If it's true of other things
As well.
Judy Brown
Dorset, UK
September 6, 2014
Somewhere inside of me
unknown to me
there is a weaver
hard at work
weaving a cloth of gold,
spinning the strands of
sunlight, strands of dark,
holding my passion
in the very hand that holds
my fear.
The cloth is craft,
the process of mystery,
the threads are life.
-From The Sea Accepts All Rivers
This year, after a miserably long and cold Michigan winter, the natural world up North is full of blooming wonders. And one of the most remarkable examples of the exuberance of this spring is the antique lilac that lay on the ground for years behind the forsythia out by the road, and which we hoisted up a couple of years back with a clothes-line tied off on a cedar stump. In past years, if there were a bloom or two we were impressed. But this year, the lilac, here to prove that age has nothing to do with vitality and creativity, has done itself proud. Virginia Woolf said "I don't believe in aging. I believe in forever altering one's aspect to the sun." I guess we helped the lilac do that: we altered the lilac's aspect to the sun. Interesting to ask ourselves how we do that for each other.
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Living things
Are shaped
By seeking light—
Sometimes,
Given the space,
They can grow
Straight and full—
Yet context isn’t
Always easy.
That tree we passed—
The trunk twisted—
Had fought for light,
I think,
Until some
Winter ice storm
Years ago
Had broken down
Whatever blocked its
Early path,
And it began to
Grow straight up.
Like us,
Its work is simple—
Living through the storms,
Continuing to grow
Toward the light.
Judy Brown, June 13, 2012
-from Stepping Stones to be released Fall 2014, contact us to reserve a signed copy.
Turning points and steppingstones
The turning points,
The steppingstones
Often arrive
As some adversity
Or opportunity—
She said that
With a depth of
Understanding
From her life—
Out of the blue
And unexpected—
Years later
She would see
The path
They had created—
But in the moment
Only confusion,
Some surprise,
Or grief, uncertainty
About what
Lay ahead.
Her words still ring:
The turning points
In life oft show themselves
As some adversity
Or unexpected opportunity.
And those to come?
Those too.
Judy Brown, May 5, 2012
-from Stepping Stones to be released Fall 2014, contact us to reserve a signed copy.
A further thought in line with the poem: A gift of a quote from a colleague from a Portuguese proverb that the French love to use--"God writes straight on crooked lines"--profoundly true in so many things that happen that may seem bad but actually turn out for the best.
Snow Days
There isn't anything
more full of life and joy
that one's own child
who doesn't have
to go to school
because of snow.
The snowstorms
are an unexpected gift,
a time to snuggle
in a chair before a fire,
a time to play and laugh
and soak the laziness
into our bones,
a time to be
exceedingly undone.
For grown-ups such free days
are rare. Our lives are focused by
the drumbeat of our work,
the cadence of impatient
fingers on a desk.
Perhaps my child's lesson
is the one I need to learn--
there isn't anything
more full of
joy and fun,
than one entire day
that's full of snow
and free of everything
I thought was life.
-From The Sea Accepts All Rivers and Simple Gifts
Dear One and All,
Here are three poems, often mentioned, or quoted during our time together at Bread for The Journey, Kirkridge. And then a couple of my own that emerged at Kirkridge—that I shared with some folks in small groups, and that I wanted to share with everyone. (Head's Up, we plan to offer this program again in 2014-15.)
Read More©Judy Sorum Brown 2012. Website designed by Lisa Brookfield
