“Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards.” Soren Kierkegaard Here at The Phoenix Spirit, we take time each spring to reflect on and explore the practice of retreating. Retreats, like most rituals, come with a familiarity and a structure that can mask the magic of the experience. Whether you take a retreat …
“All dreams reflect inborn creativity and ability to face and solve life’s problems.” —Jeremy Taylor Do dreams come true? Or are dreams true? What do our dreams tell us? We have all awakened with dreams that grabbed our attention. Some frighten us as when a beast pursues us or we careen down a mountain road …
“One can waste years this way, systematically postponing precisely the things one cares about the most.” ― Oliver Burkeman Another year dawns. Here in the northern hemisphere, we begin the year in darkness—our earth’s fallow time, rest time, quiet time. Yet I hurry to make lists to accomplish, to acquire, to get somewhere rather than …
“It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.” ― Aristotle Peace. Holidays are supposed to be the season of peace—a time when we gather in gratitude with friends and family; when we celebrate love, goodness, abundance; when we make memories to savor for the inevitable dark times ahead. …
“In the short term if I feel loneliness, it’s like any other biological signals. It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s alerting me that something that’s critical for my survival is missing. ” —Vivek Murthy I suppose it was inevitable. I thought I was past the possibility. We were done with Covid—a story to tell our …
“If we were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots instead of feet.” ― author Rachel Wolchin Moving. Moving on. Moving through. On the move. I’m moving. Moving from my home of 22 years. I’ve been here a generation. It is time for me to move on and pass the house to another …
I know it’s retreat time when I skitter from one activity to the next, squeezing one more thing in the five minutes between my last activity and the next. My life moves at the pace of a rushing river rather than meandering stream. Yup, time to go offline for a while. I am reading the …
“Allowing others to suffer the consequences of their own actions, without enabling them, is the best motivation for them to undertake the difficult task of change.” ― Darlene Lancer I remember the freedom I felt when I considered the question: Whose problem is this? The problem wasn’t mine, though it felt like mine. I was the one …
Well-being is “a set of skills that can be learned and cultivated over time, just like learning to play a musical instrument or riding a bike.” The Center for Healthy Mind Here we are again, another new, fresh, unopened year ahead. Like a new baby, it arrives with its own temperament, its own spirit, its own …
“If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.” Franklin D. Roosevelt November and December bring a variety of holiday festivities featuring food laden tables shared with family and friends. Hallmark paints a …
