Category: General Learning

The mug is simple, made by a master potter’s hands and heart. Joe Bennion in this case, out of Spring City, Utah.

The tea is also simple, a mix of chai.

There is pause in tea. For warmth. For reflection. For wonder. For clarity. For comfort. For joy.

Ah, such importance in such simple things and in such simple pause. On a Tuesday in December.

As these days of December tip toward Solstice, some holidays approaching, I find myself with extra appreciation of slowness. Some time to sit quietly. Some time to enjoy a meal with friends. Some time to reflect on a year of very big changes, learnings, and loves.

As I reflect, I find myself looking for what simplifies seeing the world. It’s my hunger for context. For principles. For invitations to both personal and shared sense-making. I know that many others seek such things also. Amidst things that change in big ways, and amidst things that change in small ways.

In Most Mornings (CentreSpoke 2022) — you can purchase copies here — I wrote some of this context as an introduction to a collection of poems. I offer it below for inspiration. And as grounding for reflections that you may be in. To invite some beauty in the learning, some integrating, and some simplicity.

May it inspire.

Most Mornings — An Introduction

For many of us these days, so sincere in our attempts to live awake, there is much volume and scale that seeks our attention. We read articles. We skim news headlines. We listen to podcasts. We sort varied social media teasers that algorithm us to interest. It’s a lot.

Yet despite such volume and scale, I believe that most of us seek to remember one or two things that are important, and then go about living our lives of personal and communal commitment. Most mornings, most of us seek what is grounding, and then go out to do our jobs.

I believe that most of us want to contribute good, whether to the circumstances near us, or to the circumstances further away that we read about. Most of us want to keep appreciating the value of similarities and differences. Many of us want healthy and respectful communities, be they in revolution or in small but significant steadiness of change.

This collection of poems comes from some of my sense-making that so often happens in the morning, nurtured by overnight sleep. These poems sample practices. They sample learnings. They sample insights and discoveries. They sample dilemmas and concerns. They range from simple and clear appreciations to more complex and murky wonderings about how to be in the world of these times.

I offer these verses to invite essences to lead, as poetry often does, and to invite discovery of what can only live between the lines. I offer these poems to bring reflection and waking, to bring phrases and images that might help you, me, and us find morning light and guiding paths.

That’s Flow Game cards above, on a bookshelf in my home office. The cards are my most-used guidance system these days. A card here and there. Sometimes several deliberately over time. I’m drawing a weekly card these days. To give depth and strategy to my current program offerings and to my current inner development. Talk to me about these. I can offer some structured use of the game to guide a question of importance for you or your team.

That’s also two of my poetry books. Most Mornings (CentreSpoke 2022) and In My Nature (CentreSpoke 2023). They also guide me. Poetic expression guides. In its simplicity. Both are available on Amazon. Thx for reads. Or for orders as gifts to others seeking thoughtful path. Talk to me about these also. These days I’m integrating poetry much more in my workshops.

That’s also a walnut cup holding a tea candle, recently given to me by my good buddy Roq. Roq and I have been learning together now for 17 years. Our conversations guide. The wonder of the inner, and, the taking steps in the outer. Well, talk to me about this also. There is helpful pattern in friendship over the years.

That’s a wooden carving of a “grandma and a grandpa” from a trip I took to Korea in the mid 80s. The trip changed me. The memory of that trip guides me. As does the memory that is my grandparents. Talk to me about this also. Relationship with those that guided is rather fruitful.

I’m glad for all of these symbols and memories. I’m glad to be in regular connection and path with colleagues, clients, fellow writers, family, memories, community, dear ones.

I have been influenced by a few warriors in my time. Good people. Inspiring people. Inviting people. Warriors of invitation.

I have been very inspired by a few warrior programs in my time. That have grown me either through direct experience or through sideline awareness.

There’s Meg Wheatley, one of my primary mentors and now, thirty year friend. Her program, Warriors for the Human Spirit is inspiring many.

There’s Toke Moeller, another dear brother and colleague (“broleague”), and now 25 year friend. His program, Warriors for the Heart has evolved to Practice for Peace. Warriors for peace. I’ve really grown from the gatherings that I’ve joined.

There’s Corbin Toby Davis, former pastor in the United Church of Christ, now doing community building with young men in Denver, Colorado. He invites his community into the identity of Peace Warriors.

There’s the two warriors that showed up in a snippet of my dream last night. They were hockey players (an important sport of my youth, and place where I felt I got to express and grow some warrior ability).

Warrior connotes discipline. And practice. And determinedness. It connotes to me a kind of deep awareness and a deep service to a greater good.

Lately, I’ve been growing my warriorness through two key questions. One, about how to invite more beauty in to my work. It’s about inviting more of myself and others into a spirit of beauty in what we do and learn together.

Two, about “collaging” work. That’s the phrase I’ve been using a lot. It connotes seeing in systems and many configurations. I quite like using these to bring clarity.

So, I find myself thinking about many kinds of needed warriorship. There’s warrior for present moment participation. This, then that. There’s warrior for simplicity. And clarity. There’s warriors for creation.

I’m glad for the stirrings. And for they way that these stirrings bring about added contribution to many circumstances of work, life, team, community, heart.