“Praise the rain; the seagull dive
The curl of plant, the raven talk—
Praise the hurt, the house slack
The stand of trees, the dignity—”
-Joy Harjo, from “Praise the Rain”
(read the whole poem here)
Where do you find inspiration in the ordinary things around you each day? What are you praising today?
It is the lunar new year. In the Chinese calendar, today begins the Year of the Ox. The ox is associated with hard work, honesty, planning and persistence. The ox often hides its talents.
How do you summon the strength to persist, even when the task before you is difficult?
“O holy beings, I greet you this day with love, reverence, wonder, gratitude, respect and awe. Thank you for the blessings and protections of life, and for the challenges I face which teach me to grow and learn…. Now the web that connects you to all beings is my web of connection. Now your blood is my blood, your origins my origins, your spirit my spirit, your purposes my purposes.” from a Blackfoot greeting of the dawn (aatsimoyihkaan) by Darin Stevenson
How might you start each day with gratitude for all of the beings around you? How might you connect your spirit to the interdependent web of existence?
In a marching band, “esprit de corps” refers to the sense of collective pride band members get in doing a thing together that is so much cooler than any one person could have done on their own. It is the spirit that moves through the entire body of the band, working together.
When have you felt esprit de corps in your life?
“I brought my spirit to the sea;
I stood upon the shore.
I gazed upon infinity,
I heard the waters roar”
-Max Kapp
Where do you go to feel connected to something bigger than yourself?
