I was prompted by the unique significance of the date on Sunday 10th October 2010 to write some words – and set myself a light hearted challenge to only use words containing the word ‘ten’…here’s the result:
Tender Words
Earth Mother Tender Words
Listen, attend:
Countenance
Brightened,
Heartened,
Lightened.
Tension softened,
Sentences sweetened.
Tendrils extending,
Tenacious,
Glistening,
Stencilling
Molten intensities,
Insistent, persistent,
Smitten.
Potent portent,
Hastening
Enlightenment.
Penitent, chastened,
Quietening.
Contentment,
Tentatively tendered.
©Christine Miller
10/10/10
A colleague sent me this today, which made me think about what we miss by rushing through life without pausing, noticing and appreciating things that in other circumstances and environments we would love and value.
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent – without exception – forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
Joshua Bell
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?
Brought me back to thinking about something I wrote last year – see here: Do You Value What’s Right Under Your Nose?
Tiger photographed on safari at Ranthambore, India
We at ReSource were thrilled to be able to visit India, and one of the highlights was our tour of Rajasthan: an amazing place of contrasts (like the whole of India!) where we were privileged to be able to go on a tiger safari. The entire three weeks we spent in India was a source of inspiration and joy – the sub continent has an uncanny ability to draw you out and encourage your personal growth!
Once we knew we were going to India in Autumn 2008, we started to look for the most enriching experiences there – and something that really stood out as a must-do, must-see was to go on a tiger safari.
These big cats seen in their natural environment held great fascination, and we found ourselves heading for Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, a protected area, one of the few places in India where tigers are still regularly seen, even in the daytime, and are breeding.
Formerly a hunting preserve for the Maharaja of Jaipur, Ranthambore covers an area of 392 sq. km. and is nestled between the Aravali and Vindhya mountain ranges. This deciduous forest was once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The rugged terrain, hills and open valleys with lakes and pools makes it a really romantic and picturesque place to be.
It seems we arrived at just the right time, and that we even had good ‘karma’, according to the locals, as we were able to see several tigers in the course of our three day safari. The excitement of being so close to these amazing creatures was almost indescribable, a real privilege – in fact, quite an emotional experience for all concerned, and something I would recommend wholeheartedly if you have the chance to visit.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama - The Embodiment of Compassion
Listening to the Dalai Lama sharing His experiences and thoughts, one of the aspects which most impressed me was the amount of laughter – both from himself and from His audience. There is warm heartedness, humility and a lightness of spirit which is very apparent in His way of speaking, and His words are aimed directly at the hearts of His listeners. His message of compassion and loving kindness is based on common sense and practical living, and he is clear in asserting His belief that:
“The purpose of life is for happiness, to survive happily”
One of His central teachings about the development of compassion is based on the importance of childhood influences, particularly the effects of parenting. He reflects on His own childhood, and says he believes that mothers are the starting point of loving kindness. He describes His own mother’s simplicity, an uneducated village woman from a farming background, and immensely warm hearted. Contrasting her love and gentleness with the more disciplinarian approach of His father, he concludes that had he spent more time in His early years with His father he would probably not have been the same person.
“I believe that my altruistic mind and my compassion – the very seeds of that mind I got from my birth and the next few months and years with my mother – that was the real starting point to raise my model of loving kindness.”
He goes on to say to parents:
“What I say is this – give maximum affection to your children. That is very essential to bring us a happier humanity. The main hope for humanity relies on our future generations. So families with children have a special role – to give maximum affection to your children.
And parents – particularly mothers – spend more time with your children
In these troubled times, as much of what has traditionally been upheld as important starts to fall away,
many of us are questioning ourselves about what is really important in life.
There can be no question that knowing ourselves and recognising our strengths is crucial to our progress.
Until we look within, and find the means to self-leadership and awareness,
we cannot deal honestly and with integrity with the outer world.
In this workshop, you will experience recognising, acknowledging, and then peeling off your masks,
shedding your assumptions
and opening your eyes to the treasure within you.
You will emerge stronger, clearer and with a greater understanding of
who you truly are.
Then you can live a fulfilled life, regardless of the outside influences you encounter,
because your joy will emanate from your inner strengths,
your sense of self will be unassailable,
and you will experience whole-hearted happiness.
CONTACT: christine@christinemiller.co
Christine is dedicated to helping others uncover and fulfil their true potential. She holds a Masters Degree in Psychology and is a poet, author, consultant and speaker at many conferences.
As the Visionary Founder editor of ReSource magazine, she enjoys many opportunities to share thoughts and ideas with world spiritual and personal growth leaders.
“Christine has a graceful presence, a calmness and a warmth which combined with her in-depth knowledge of her subject, and her dedication to her students’ learning, makes her a compelling and inspirational trainer.”
Alison Paterson, Kaizen Training
“People can feel your commanding energy presence as you walk on stage and they can feel your energy and passion, and know with certainty that you totally believe in what you’re delivering.”
Steve Ross, MD, Ross Associates, Bristol
“I have had the privilege of knowing Christine for some time, and I have been very blessed to hear her speak, to share her warm and heartfelt, powerful poetry, and to read her marvellous words in her world-class professional magazine. Not only well connected but someone who leads with her heart and soul first.
The word inspirational is over-used, but is entirely apposite here. Thank you for being a friend.
aloha nui loa (as they say in Hawaii)”
Gary Plunkett, Business Coach
“Christine Miller’s workshop was inventive, creative, fun, intimate, validating and insightful. The notion of masks were all useful reminders, to me, of how much we (I) can choose to stay hidden behind any of a number of facades and, worse, convince myself that it is neither my choice nor my responsibility i.e. if I’m hiding my light it’s because other people aren’t seeing my light! Yeah. Right! Thank you Christine.”
Michael Mallows; author, trainer, coach
“Christine Miller’s workshop was truly excellent.”
Hugh L’Estrange, Director, SEAL (Society for Effective Affective Learning)
“Christine is a wonderful and inspiring spirit, her natural gift to heal with her words and with her hands is tangible as you stand within her presence.
I am delighted to know Christine and have safely shared my personal story with her.
I highly recommend that you experience Christine’s beautiful and calming energy to create harmony in your life.”
Pauline Crawford, Founder, Corporate Heart
“Christine has not only quality in her work but every ounce of her being is designed to make human potential increase. Very few people have this gift. One in a million.”
Nigel Risner, CEO, Nigel Risner
“I spent an inspiring afternoon with Christine recently, and her magic for me is that her guidance appears effortless – to the point I felt that I was coming up with all these wonderful visions on my own. In fact, it was Christine’s caring and intuitive guidance gently taking me to a place I would never have reached without her. Those who know Christine already will understand me when I say that with Christine’s help I have seen a realistic vision of my own future. Thanks Christine – and I look forward to working with you for a long time to come.”
Richard Flewitt, Business Video Producer, New Edge
