Three big Ms !!!

Here we are, after solstice and the holidays, and just into the new year... I love this time as an opportunity to reflect and settle -- looking back, looking forward, and still, being right here, now; relishing the long, cozy evenings, taking time for tea and quiet. I hope this time has been rewarding and pleasurable for you too.

Apropos new beginnings: I was cycling along recently and it occurred to me while the title of my book, Becoming: Journeying Toward Authenticity, describes what the book has meant for me, it doesn't really do a good job of communicating what I hope the volume can do for its readers. As I rolled along, the phrase Maximize Memorable Moments occurred to me! Three big Ms!

So what do I mean by this? Each essay addresses a 'memorable moment' in my life: some of them were ones that hurt (e.g. The Road to Hell, page 156), or that startled or jolted me in some way (Treasure Trove, page 78), or that opened doors (Look Where You Want to Go, page 112), either in that very moment or in the days and years to come, or that rained down on my life like fireworks (Being Alone, page 31)!

That's two Ems. Memorable Moments. Big ones. Ones that made a lasting impression.

But we all have an abundance of moments that hurt, surprise, jolt us, and they aren't always ones we even want to remember, let alone 'maximize.' So what about that third M?

By Maximize, I mean take the full value from, digest, metabolize, yes, even celebrate! In writing Becoming, the process of recalling these memorable moments, plus the rethinking that was needed to articulate them, meant that each one took on deeper meaning, became richer and gained dimensions compared to being just moments in my life, even memorable ones.

And that is what I wish for us as we move toward into the new year, a new decade: that you may recognize moments in your life as memorable: reading with a grandchild, being hurt or ignored by someone you value, noticing the glint of a sunbeam on a tree or the mountains...

Let us take the time, bring the presence and awareness to rec0gnize these moments, and bring consciousness to them so they may enrich us, and recognize the learning, the teaching they offer.

May they make us more alive, full of life! A major bonus, of course, is that by doing this, we contribute to the evolution of consciousness, ours and that of the cosmos!

Happy New Year, and blessings to you and yours!

Suggestions!

May I be so bold as to suggest some considerations for your giving this season? If you're not interested, you can click on an uplifting Flash Mob performance and carry on with your day :-)

Where ever you are, and whatever you do with this list of suggestions, warm greetings and blessings, and happiness, peace, and joy for the holidays.

Jill

Certainly there are always green and social service gifts, which are clearly good choices. In this note I am suggesting items created by friends of mine, and which cover a broad range of interests: an enchanting children's CD, a riveting historical, psychological, page-turner; an intriguing numerology volume; tools for tapping in to your inner knowing, and a personal invitation to maximize the memorable moments in our lives.

Something for everyone! And you would be supporting local talent! Have a browse :-)

• My dear friend, singer and songwriter Peggy Rose has produced a wonderful CD for children. Our grandchildren love her songs, stories and poems, her warmth and humour. The CD contains a broad variety of themes and rhythms. The songs, stories and poems have a timeless quality, and have been favourites with our children for years now. Her CDs is called Peggy Rose's Musical Storybook, Volume 1. Peggy also has another recording (basement tape quality) called November Rose: Songs of Peace and Love. Both tapes are priced at $10 plus $2 for mailing if necessary. Please contact Peggy at 604-921-7585 or peggystortz@shaw.ca

• A treasured and talented colleague and friend Carla Rieger has written a page-turning adventure story which could be the perfect selection for someone you know. The Change Artist is in turn autobiographical, historical, psychological, and an entirely compelling look at the potential for personal change and transformation. "Romance, adventure, history, philosophy — it has it all! A thought-provoking page-turner that illuminates a little-known period of history and makes it relevant for today." I like how it describes our lives as works of art. What a gift! Buy it here or here.

• If you're deeply into, or simply curious about, numerology, I have just the ticket. A good friend, Lance Shaler, (who features as one of my mentors in my book, Becoming :-), has written a book which makes numerology accessible and fun. In Why Do Numbers Count Lance accesses decades of research and experience, and goes way beyond 'just' numbers in that he links to metaphors about people, plants, our senses, as well as astrology. In case you know people searching for just the right name for their baby, he also offers Baby Names - Why They Count. I have a friend who was startled and amazed at the depth of Lance's insights, and completely rethought the names they had been considering for their new baby. Purchase here and here.

• Who of us would not like to make our work light, either by including many hands, or bringing to it new and brighter dimensions, awareness, or tools? Well, Kate Sutherland has a brand new book called Make Light Work: 10 Tools for Inner Knowing. Her book gives "10 simple but powerful tools to access the inner insight and wisdom that enables you to both resolve major life events and cope with the little everyday problems like: how to deal with a boss who drives you crazy; what food options are best for you or your family; or how to navigate home when an accident snarls traffic. It’s the ultimate self-help book, revealing practical ways we can find our own answers by tuning in." What is more, the layout is accessible and eminently practical, ready to be picked up and used. Available on line here and here.

• And of course I'd like you to consider my volume, Becoming: Journeying Toward Authenticity. Short essays address universal human themes in an intimate way. Recalling and reflecting on pivotal moments in our lives can take us deeper, help us crack old patterns and become more alive and real. The reflection questions in each chapter invite the reader along on the journey. Becoming makes a perfect gift to end the old year and begin the new -- for yourself, a friend, or someone for whom you need a special gift. Read reviews here, and order through me or on line.



Jill Schroder
BECOMING: JOURNEYING TOWARD AUTHENTICITY
1203-2055 Pendrell St.
Vancouver, BC V6G 1T9

Phone/Fax: 604 662-7561