As I am writing this, it is still officially Leap Day…that anomaly in the calendar that occurs once every four years, an ‘extra day’ to balance out the year. It hadn’t occured to me until tonight that many people consider it a magical event as well. I was facilitating a workshop tonight called Leap Into Life at the beautiful Greenshire Arts Consortium in Quakertown, Pa. It is a lovely nestled-in -nature venue for workshops, classes, drumming circles, spiritual events and the like. Arlene and Jim Curley are the owners/directors of the center and in the years I have known them, have found them to be stewards of the land on which it sits and welcoming hosts to all who set foot on it, as it emits a palpable healing energy.
On this rainy night that filled the winding forest-embraced roads that took me to Greenshire, I had a sense of exhiliration, wondering what leaps the folks who would attend would be willing to take and how I as a guide could create a safe space for them to do so. As a facilitator, that feels like Job 1. I know that I don’t have the right or responsibility to decide what anyone will glean from our time together, only that I build a ‘container’ for what could emerge and they create their experience. I have seen gifted teachers do this over the years AND I have, sadly witnessed what could happen when others haven’t. When we began the opening circle, those in the workshop all shared that idea…that Leap Day felt like a transitional time, infused somehow with an extra oomph! So, with that in mind, I encouraged them to use it as a springboard, since what we believe, fuels our activity. Intention is like that. I shared with them that leaps need not look like pole vaults. For some, little bounces can feel leap-y! Many’s the time over the years that baby steps into change, were all I could manage. These days, my leaps feel like I am wearing my Wonder Woman cape for extra lift and I am loving it.
They look like asking for what I desire, refraining from questioning, “do I deserve this?”, connecting with people for mutual benefit, knowing that I have resources to share, as do they. We have become family of choice. Rarely intimidated, I expressed to the women there last night, that I heed the wise words of my father Moish: “They put their pants on one leg at time, just like you do.”, and the fun guidance of my mother Selma: “Walk in like you own the joint.” , with head held high, making eye contact and (I added) “knockers up”. That got a laugh from the group.
Another leap is seeing my vision for my life clearly layed out before me, when I wouldn’t have dared to do so in earlier times, since the thought “What if it doesn’t happen?” would plague me. These days, I ask “What if it does?”, which delights me endlessly.
What are your leaps, hops and bounds?
Who supports you in taking them?
Are you willing to hold hands with your ‘family of choice’ as you leap together into your new life?
http://youtu.be/3_wQsERQ_Yc A video with Jim and Arlene Curley…the vision continues
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