coming alive..

Back from retreat... feeling oddly refreshed.  Not from the air or sun or anything else.  And still struggling with a bit of a cold medicine hang over feeling.  I am always a bit apprehensive about retreats.  There is always that fifty-fifty chance that they will head south.  That things won't be what you want to get out of a retreat. And with the way 2014 has been going and having a nasty cold on top of it, I was definitely not feeling cheery about this retreat.

It held the usual shock moments, those are to ponder on later, and it held the uplifting ones also.  It was absolutely hysterical when they called all the members of our corporate offices and my Y up front and presented us with rain poncho's to everyone singing "I'm singing in the rain"... I have to say that was fun.  The Luau on the beach was such a welcome change to the evening social.  The World Cafe' was very motivational.

But in and of itself that wasn't what made me feel refreshed.   Jill Stratton,  www.jillstratton.com, took time out of her busy schedule to speak to us. She spoke about Joy and Flow.  I wasn't sure what to expect, looking back it was my "ahhh haa" moment. We've had speakers over the years that all but put me to sleep, that were speaking from a place I simply couldn't go.  Jill... she grabbed all of us in her arms and lifted us upwards right with her.  She is a truly joyous person!

I drifted along to the melody of her voice, the uplifting attitude and the inspiration found in all she had to say.  As she spoke, I found myself getting lost. She had us do silly games, not in the painful ice breaker mode, these were designed to make us truly feel.  It was her parting assignment that grabbed me, held me and inspired me.

She had us do a writing project.  And even though I write this blog, I still get nervous butterflies in my stomach when I am faced with a writing project.  Especially an assigned one. But I was game... as I sat beside hubby, looked around at my peers, I wondered what would be the outcome of this little game.

As she spoke... my mind soared... I could easily do this... "what brings you alive"... for five minutes we simply got to write about what makes us come alive.  We didn't have to share it, it was ours to help us feel joy.  It was the easiest thing I have ever written. I am going to share my list and also my answer to the final question, because I want to challenge everyone to do this simple task. To think about and feel the things that make you come alive. And then I will share the quote she gave before we started...

What brings me alive...

• a motorcycle ride on a crisp clear morning
• creating something from nothing
• silence in my garden nurturing my plants to nourish my family
• laughter with hubby - when we are focused on each other without interference from the outside world
• giggles and smiles with my grand baby
• teaching a new skill from the past to someone stuck on the future
• conversations with my children - about any subject at all
• a walk on the beach collecting seashells
• being one with the world, being in the silence
• loving on my pups
• the past, the simplicity of the past

But what I really want to say is... I love my life.  My hubby, kids, grans, my hopes, my dreams and plans.  I would love more hours for what I cherish, but I will not begrudge the intrusions... They make my life whole.

Do not ask what the world needs, ask what make you come alive.  The world needs more people who have come alive - Howard Thurman