Words to inspire the belief that we have all we need to be the change we wish to see.
This week the final episode of This Is Us will air. For those who watched the series, we learned about love, loss, parenting, grief, shame, trauma, and how to deal with losing a loved one, among many other invaluable lessons.
It was sometimes hard to watch, and often heavy, but in the end This Is Us is all of us. Continue reading
I just finished reading a book called Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. It was about family heartache, loss, disfunction, passion and love in all it’s undefinable forms.
The story centres on a certain bird. McConaghy writes through character Franny Stone, “The Arctic tern has the longest migration of any animal. It flies from the Arctic all the way to the Antarctic, and then back again within a year. This is an extraordinarily long flight for a bird its size. And because the terns live to be thirty or so, the distance they will travel over the course of their lives is the equivalent of flying to the moon and back three times.” Continue reading
I recently came across poet David Whyte. He has Irish and English roots and a hypnotic voice that draws you in to his poems. There is a segment in the Waking Up meditation app where he shares some of his work. He writes words that really cut you open and change the way you see things. Things you thought you knew seem new again.
In The Bell and the Blackbird, he recalls an old Irish story of a monk standing by the monastary in early morning and hearing the bell ring, calling him to his work of prayer. The monk thinks this is the most beautiful sound. He turns to go but then hears the blackbird singing in the forest and he thinks this is the most beautiful sound. We don’t know what sound the monk chooses to follow, but he represents us all. Where will we go next on our journey? We have many compelling options. Continue reading
My oldest was choosing post-secondary schools to apply to this past weekend. Time flies. I remember when he went to preschool and now, I will be the mom of three teens when my youngest has a birthday shortly.
Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.
When he asked me what programs I thought he should choose I reminded him to follow his heart. Take what interests you. What sparks your curiosity. There is no correct answer. Turning left or turning right can lead to a beautiful journey. Continue reading
I was just listening to entrepreneur Derek Sivers on the Tim Ferriss podcast. Derek is the former founder and CEO of CD Baby which is a very successful online store for independent musicians. Continue reading
When I do my presentation at schools and corporations about embracing failure and having grit, I start with the Mary Oliver quote, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Continue reading
One hundred and six years ago, on April 14 and April 15, the Titanic sank to the bottom of the ocean. Fifteen hundred and three people perished. It was a terrible tragedy.
When I was back in Ireland recently, my cousin’s girlfriend told me a story. She said her great-grandfather had bought a ticket for the Titanic and was standing on the dock waiting to board. A man approached him and offered him double the voyage price if he would sell him his ticket. Her great-grandfather said no. Then the stranger offered him triple. He couldn’t turn down that amount of money so he reluctantly sold the man his ticket. Continue reading
I saw this quote by author Jackson Kiddard yesterday and it stopped me in my tracks. It changed me.
“Anything that annoys you is for teaching you patience.
Anyone who abandons you is for
teaching you how to stand up
on your own two feet.
Anything that angers you is for teaching you forgiveness and compassion.
Anything that has power over you is for teaching you how to take your power back.
Anything you hate is for
teaching you unconditional love.
Anything you fear is for
teaching you courage to
overcome your fear.
Anything you can’t control is for teaching you how to let go and trust the Universe.” Continue reading
© 2023 Siobhan Kelleher Kukolic
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