Volume V, Issue 32 August 8, 2016 Word of the Week: mindful Dear ,
You can tell in any moment which you're experiencing, right? But just in case, here's what "mind full" looks (and feels) like:
And here's what "mindful" looks (and feels) like, at least to me:
There's a spaciousness to it, room for possibility, an openness that allows you to take in what life is offering you right now, in this
moment.
Like the feather I found on the path from my room at the John Campbell Folk School to our writing school after lunch today... (Click the link to see photos of this very beautiful spot.) When I first started writing poetry again as an adult, I began finding feathers everywhere, and they became an omen of creativity and my willingness to, as poet Miller William exhorts in his poem "Let Me Tell You," "first, notice everything."
There are many activities and habits that can get in the way of mindfulness,
but what inspired this word of the week was reading an article called "Mindful Technology." It seems especially relevant today, as, since I taught here last summer, technology has come to the Folk School. It used to be that there were exactly two spots on the whole campus where WiFi was available, and only a few more places where one could find reliable cell phone reception. Now, WiFi is everywhere here. And I'm both relieved and disappointed. Because now it's my responsibility to choose
not to allow all the phone and text messages, Facebook posts, tweets, etc. to keep me from being present to the beauty of this place, and the opportunity to step away from technology for hours at a time.
I hope you enjoy reading this featured writing! It lists practical and very useful tips for some truth-telling about whether you're
using technology or it's using you, and also some ways to enjoy what's good about it in moderation.
Love and Light, Maureen Upcoming WordPlay
(Fulfilling Writing Dreams & Goals; Creating New Writing; Revising & Polishing Your Writing)
This class is designed to fulfill your writing dreams and projects. You’ll set goals and support structures and watch your writing flow! You’ll also get feedback on your work (any genre) and learn revision tools and methods. Each week, writing prompts will generate material for new writing or further a piece
in process, whatever your preferred genre. Through examples of accomplished writers, you’ll learn techniques to aid you right where you are in the process.
* We have Tuesday evening and
Wednesday morning classes
available
WHERE: South Charlotte area (Tuesday evenings) OR Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 E. Morehead,
Charlotte, NC 28204 (Wednesday mornings)
WHEN: Tuesday evenings OR Wednesday mornings, starting in September.
COST: $419 for 12 sessions
TO REGISTER: Please email us at info@wordplaynow.com if interested. We have a few spots still available.
More WordPlay opportunities here. Featured Writing Mindful Technology by Spunky Simplicity “It is not what technology does to us, it is what we do to technology. Used skillfully, it can improve and enhance our lives beyond our wildest imagination. Used unskillfully, it can leave us feeling lonely, isolated, agitated and overwhelmed. Get smart with technology, choose wisely and use it in a way that benefits both you and those around you.” ~Headspace
Ever since a cell phone was first thrust upon me as a young professional in the 90’s, I’ve been somewhat vexed by technology. I resented the thought of 24 hour availability. And, as a 20 something at the time, how could I maintain my aloof nature if I could always be tracked down?
Decades later, I’m slightly less aloof but still maintain a love-hate relationship with the technology that saturates my family’s life. We own “i-everything” it seems, and are far too often in front of or behind a large or small screen. Much of my day is spent online purveying health, nutrition, eco-wellness and spiritual wisdom through our Spunky Avocado website, blog and social media. At the end of the day, every day, I’ve been finding myself actively squelching
the urge to calculate just how much of our precious time as a family had been mindlessly spent on our many devices.
I decided it was time to confront the ugly truth and take a deep, honest look. What I found was that despite all my efforts to get my family out into nature, to travel, to have great experiences and quality time together, we were way out of balance in terms of our collective technology
use. It was also clear that in order to make changes to our family’s bad habits, I would first need to address my own. So in an effort to bring it all back to a place that felt balanced and productive, I put on my researcher’s cap and dug in. Here is what I have found to be most helpful….
Click the link to read the rest of the article,
which includes some very
helpful indicators and strategies
for managing technology in mindful ways: WordPlay Now! Writing
Prompt This is WordPlay—so why not revel in the power and
potential of one good word after another? This week, it's "mindful."
PROMPT: This week, take yourself for a mindful walk of at least 30 minutes in the most beautiful place available to you. Be open to omens for your own writing, and for ideas that flow from "noticing everything" as you
walk. MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and three collections of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. One of her long-held dreams came true in July of 2015 when Garrison Keillor read one of her poems on The Writer's Almanac. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn—and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with
intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
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