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Listen to Chris read “Wild Grief”
Start up close and from the back side.
Don’t reach for the long view yet.
It’s too much to ask of your grieving heart.
Look close up, to the silhouette of seed heads on Wild grass.
Stand behind a sunflower, on the back side,
where each extended petal glows with sunlight.
When Wild grief envelops […]
There is a different, far more compassionate way to look at these feelings. It's almost impossible to see once you are off and running, but if you can pause as this bubbles up, there's a good chance you can re-direct this train of thought. Because even feelings of discomfort or misalignment are useful. If you are living a Wild purposeful life, it really does matter that you feel lined up, at least in some aspects of your life. Here's the thing that can bring me back from the freefall of catastrophizing or questioning everything... Nothing is wasted.
Our culture perpetuates the myth of Arrival. Like if we really pulled it all together, we could be that polished, calm, energetic, accomplished individual that we see reflected in the stereotypes of our imagination. Personally or professionally, this deception of arrival is insidious and dangerous. It lures us into believing that it's possible to be complete, inside or out. That if we just worked a little longer, dug a little deeper, ate the right foods, or tried harder, somehow, we would cross a threshold into a land of competent and peaceful completion.
Snow!!! And lots of it!
We snow lovers have been waiting
with varying degrees of patience…or not.
But the skies have opened.
Winter finally decided to decorate.
She woke from her long slumber
and brushed the snow from her den.
Flakes came down with steady swirling grace,
crystal upon crystal, until there were inches.
And more inches. And she’s not finished yet.
Deep drifts cover […]
Communication, however, is decidedly NOT one size fits all. Not even one size fits the same person the same way every time. To move from being Present, which would look something like the above scenario, to being Wildly Present (the practice of giving your undivided attention) asks us to pause, to be curious about the person in front of you and what they may need in this moment, knowing it could be very different than what you might need or welcome.
Rain. Rain? In Minnesota?!? In winter??!!??
As puddles deepened, the temperature fell.
Clumps of slush froze in place.
Long stretches of ice now shape the terrain.
Even weeks later,
a simple walk requires full attention and a little luck.
Snow has eluded us, so we look out on ice and
patches of frozen grass.
I’m not sure who likes this weather.
It is equal […]
At the start of your next meeting, ask everyone to settle in for a moment. To take some deep breaths, maybe close their eyes, and think of a time when they were really present. Doing something that was engrossing enough that it had their full attention. Where time slipped […]
Here’s the thing…
No matter what kind of multi-tasking work super hero that you may be, no one can be productive for hours in a row.
In fact, most studies agree that we hit our stride, then tap out after about 50 minutes of work. This is decidedly different than how most work days […]
…this time of year holds such contrast. The frantic pace of the holidays, regardless of your beliefs or your participation in them, amp up this time of year, with shopping, music, lights, meals, deals, parties, and more. While at the same time, the natural world grows quiet in the hush and stillness of winter. […]
If you live in a part of the world where,
looking out your window right now,
you see leaves in radiant shades
of crimson and saffron,
then, by any means necessary,
get yourself outside.
Look how sunlight or the muted tones of grey
make each leaf glow as they hold fast
or twist in the wind,
drifting and sailing on updrafts
as they make their […]
1835 Meadowview Road
Bloomington Minnesota, 55425
763-479-3954
chris@thewildinstitute.com
(The recipient of my carbon off-sets/counterpoint.)
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