Category: contentment

• There are always shades of gray…

  Last evening we watched a deeply moving film. The title was, “Mrs. Lowry and Son“. I highly recommend it! As “artists” we were intrigued with the story, impressed with the cinematography and acting by both Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall. Even though the subtle, yet adept directing by Adrian Noble produced a work deserving of…

  susannasays

  January 14, 2023

  #Leafology, art, balance, compassion, connection, contentment, creativity, depression, describing feeling, disappointment, equanimity, expressive art, expressive writing, gratitude, home, journaling, Lapidus, learning as lifestyle, Li Po, mindfulness, paying attention, poetry, service, slowing down, thinking out loud, transformative language, truth telling, visual thinking, voice, winter, words, work, writing

• A Benediction for 2017

  by susanna suchak adapted from “A Blessing for the New Year” by Kayleen Asbo (dedicated with gratitude to Mike Prepsky who always inspires) As the presence of light begins to grow with each passing day may the fearful places in your heart unclench their grasp on your life; may your courage blossom and bloom.  …

  susannasays

  January 3, 2017

  art, balance, contentment, creativity, expressive art, expressive writing, mindfulness, poetry, Poetry Therapy, resilience, rising above

• #bounceback

  Caregivers are compassionate. It is their nature. For most humans it is their nature and very natural to care. It can be an exhausting job though. Sometimes the compassion well feels pretty dry and empty. Oftentimes, caregivers are not the first to notice the symptoms of empty well or exhaustion until they are just about…

  susannasays

  January 5, 2016

  art, balance, compassion, compassion fatigue, contentment, creativity, depression, describing feeling, disappointment, equanimity, expressive art, expressive writing, fun, gratitude, Lapidus, mindfulness, paying attention, Poetry Therapy, resilience, rising above, SAD, seasonal affective disorder, service, thinking out loud, visual thinking, work, writing

  #bounceback, compassion fatigue, depression, expressive art, expressive writing, poetry, recover your self, resilience, think, visual thinking, writing

• Crow Lessons in poem form

  Crow Lessons susanna suchak Clickety, clack, talking back Crow sits, watches intently I sit, We—Sharing secrets he— Resting in old tree Me—Sipping cuppa tea Lone souls he and me Still, we’re Good company.

  susannasays

  July 22, 2015

  #Leafology, balance, contentment, equanimity, gratitude, learning as lifestyle, paying attention, poetry

  #Leafology, crow, gratitude, poetry

• Crow Lessons

  Early last spring a messenger came to me. He perched in the ancient oak tree outside my studio and peered into the window inquisitively. Crows are very curious. Image found here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/id All the while I was sitting there tippy tapping on my keyboard, this crow watched me, tilting his head this way and that…

  susannasays

  July 21, 2015

  balance, compassion, connection, contentment, equanimity, gratitude, learning as lifestyle, mindfulness, paying attention, slowing down

  communication, connection, crow, gratitude, inelligence, language, lessons, magic, namaste, observation, paying attention, secrets, talking

• Home and Light

  “Home is where the light lives.” ~ Kayce Hughlett “As I lay pondering” I am watching snow pile up, listening to the winds gusting, feeling “tucked-in” and safe and cozy. Though “the weather outside is frightful” the snow does brighten up the view from my window. And I am so very glad to be upright…

  susannasays

  January 1, 2015

  art, balance, contentment, etymology, home, snow, winter

  happy new year, home, light

• Pilgrims

  Twice in the past few days I have read similar versions of the following story (which I paraphrase): “A troubled pilgrim, exhausted from the journey, asked a sage for help. The sage gazed compassionately into the pilgrim’s eyes and after a time he spoke, “I can offer you one of two things – a map…

  susannasays

  December 30, 2014

  contentment, gratitude, rising above

  Be the boat, Musings, Winter

• Thirsty Thursday …

    Today it rains. Il pleut. Interestingly enough in French Il pleut can also mean “he cries” or is it “he is crying/weeping”? At any rate, I think the French have it right … for the rain often makes people a little misty-eyed. Strangely enough, not me, not today. Perhaps it is because I have…

  susannasays

  November 6, 2014

  balance, connection, contentment, learning as lifestyle, poetry, Poetry Therapy, rain, spirit forming, thinking out loud

• Learning…to listen

  Lately, it seems, I am making more time for reflection. Perhaps it is the season; perhaps that I am beginning to find comfort in the artful practice of contemplative photography; perhaps it is just who I am and who I am becoming. Reflecting requires a high degree of listening. That said, I am beginning to…

  susannasays

  October 27, 2014

  balance, connection, contentment, equanimity, learning as lifestyle, mindfulness, rising above, visual thinking

• Thankful…

  It’s been a week since I journalled … until this morning. Now for some, and for me at other times in my life, this would be no news, a big yawn, a so what kind of revelation. But I am a transformative language coach. In other words, I assist people to become mindful through expressing…

  susannasays

  October 10, 2014

  balance, connection, contentment, equanimity, gratitude, journaling, mindfulness, spirit forming, writing