Ripples #788: Wander to Wonder.

Ripples #788: Wander to Wonder.
A splash of inspiration
from The Ripples Guy
30 June 2014

PEBBLE:
In every walk with nature
one receives far more than he seeks.
—John Muir

BOULDER:
If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.
-Rachel Carson

PONDER:
I’ll be offline for a bit as I exhale in the Rockies over the next few weeks.  Wandering always improves my wondering, and I almost always return from the mountains with a replenished spirit and refreshed outlook on life.  I’ve queued up a few weeks of Ripples so you won’t miss them, and I hope that you too can find your own special way to spend time in nature this week.  Breathe in all she has to offer, and exhale some of your stress (she can recycle it into something useful, I’m certain).

Peace,
Paul

Ripples #758: Sacred Idleness.

Ripples #758: Sacred Idleness.
For our tribe of busy people who believe in
unleashing Ripples of compassion & kindness: uRock!
2 Dec 2013

PEBBLE:
Work is not always required...
there is such a thing as sacred idleness,
the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected.
–George MacDonald

BOULDER:
In the attitude of silence
the soul finds the path
in a clearer light,
and what is elusive and deceptive
resolves itself into crystal clearness.
Our life is a long and
arduous quest after Truth.
-Mahatma Gandhi

PONDER:
Now that the winter holidays are fully activated, this becomes for many a time of joy AND joyous insanity:  end of the semester exams for some, end of year work stuff for others, and the traveling and packing and parties and ooh just lots of STUFF to get done.

I hope you can create some precious moments to pause, catch your breath, and just rest a bit amidst all the madness.

Peace,
Paul
P.S.  Many of you know I slow down for a few weeks of rest and restoration at the end of the year.  I have queued up Ripples to send out during the next few Mondays, and I promise to return soon with a renewed spirit.

Ripples #737: The Achievement of Solitude.

Ripples #737: The Achievement of Solitude.
For our tribe of busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
8 July 2013

PEBBLE:
The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass
of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds.
-Thomas Merton

BOULDER:
Being solitary is being alone well:
being alone luxuriously immersed
in doings of your own choice,
aware of the fullness of your own presence
rather than of the absence of others.
Because solitude is an achievement.
-Alice Koller

PONDER:
I have slipped into the altitude of the Colorado Rockies to recover from my spring adventures and prepare for the craziness of the fall. I'll have Ripples queued up for you to receive while I'm away, and I promise to return soon with a replenished spirit.

In the meantime, I invite you to carve out a few minutes in your schedule this week to enjoy some solitude of your own; it so often improves my enjoyment and effectiveness of work and life and I feel certain it could help you, too.

Peace 2u!
Paul,
The Ripples Guy

Ripples #654: Solitude.

Ripples #654: Solitude.
For our tribe of 29,909 busy people who share encouragement and gratitude.
12/06/2011

PEBBLE:
In solitude we give passionate attention
to our lives, to our memories,
to the details around us.
-Virginia Woolf, submitted by Lin in Bloomington, IL

BOULDER:

Dear Paul,
Last year, an issue of Ripples
inspired me to "spend time in silence,"
so I took my first solo vacation ever.
I'm proud of myself for spending time alone
with just me, my thoughts and feelings.
I enjoyed having the time to listen
as my heart and soul spoke to me.

I came back a different person;
not dramatically different,
but peaceably different.
I didn't resolve all my questions
and problems while on the beach,
but I found inspiration,
I found a unique freedom,
and I found that I like me.

I think everyone should take
at least one trip alone!

Happy Holidays, and Happy Living,
-Cindy in Cincinnati, OH
(shared with permission)

PONDER:
I know that the holidays are, for many people, a time to spend with family and friends which can be both delightful and dizzying. I hope you can plan some pockets of solitude to relax and refocus. If things are really crazy, take Cindy's advice and plan a solo adventure of your own early in the new year!

Peace,
Paul

Ripples #585: Silence.

Ripples #585: Silence.
For 25,867 busy people who make time for kindness.

PEBBLE: True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what
sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. -William Penn, submitted
by Lois B., Calumet MI

BOULDER: In the beginning we have to force ourselves to be silent. But
then from our very silence is born something that draws us into deeper
silence. May God give you an experience of this "something" that is born of
silence. -Issac of Nineveh, 7th c. Syrian monk, submitted by Maggie J.,
Newburg OR

PONDER: Shhhhhhhh. I dare you to find some time and some place to be
silent for longer than usual. A few moments, a few minutes, a few hours.
Listen to your heart, listen to your soul, and most importantly: listen to
the silence to see what it sounds like and how it speaks to you. Shhhhhhh.

Peace,
Paul
August 9, 2010

Ripples v11.50: Solitude!

Ripples v11.50: Solitude!
21 Dec 2009
The Ripples Project is a tribe of 24,064
who believe tiny actions create big possibilities

_______
PEBBLE
Loneliness is the poverty of self.
Solitude is the richness of self.
-May Sarton, submitted by Stella R., Groton MA

________
BOULDER
Language has created
the word loneliness
to express the pain
of being alone,
and the word solitude
to express the glory of being alone.
-Paul Tillich, submitted by Carol L. N., LaCrosse WI

_______
PONDER
As the year winds down and many of us begin to gather our friends and/or
family together to celebrate the holidays, be sure to find some precious
time alone to relax, reflect, and rejoice. It is easy to forget that solo
time can balance as well as enrich the time you spend with others.

Peace,
Paul

Ripples v10.48: Sweet Aloneness!

Ripples v10.48: Sweet Aloneness! (Dec 1, 2008)
The Ripples Project is our tribe of 21,318
who believe small actions create big possibilities.

_______
PEBBLE
Be able to be alone.
Lose not the advantage of solitude, and the society of thyself.
-Sir Thomas Browne, submitted by Dottie J., Cincinnati OH

_________
BOULDER
Sometimes it takes darkness and
the sweet confinement of your aloneness
to learn anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
-David Whyte, submitted by Karen H., Sheboygan WI

_________
PONDER
As I prepare to disappear into the mountains for my annual retreat, I invite you to join me in spirit: find a few precious moments in your schedule and seek a quiet spot away from your crazy life to sit, ponder, breathe and be. It will help us return to life refreshed and ready for some exciting new possibilities for this evolving tribe of Ripplers....details early in 2009!

Peace,
Paul
p.s. I have queued up Ripples for a few weeks, so you will still receive your weekly splash while I am on retreat!

Ripples v10.25: Stepping Back!

Ripples v10.25: Stepping Back!
June 23, 2008: a free weekly splash to 20,070 subscribers
from Paul & The Ripples Project

__PEBBLE _________________________________

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.
-Ovid, submitted by Lin H., Bloomington IL

__BOULDER _________________________________

Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.
-Lao-tzu (from a translation by Stephen Mitchell), submitted by Tiffany T., from Madison, WI

__PONDER _________________________________

I am STEPPING BACK from work and life and Ripples for a few days of rest in one of my favorite spots on the planet (I have attached a photo to give you a hint...more next week). I hope you can find some time to do the same: whether it is a few days, a few hours, or even a few precious minutes away from your job and your chores and your crazyfun life. Step back, and then rush back in!

Peace,
Paul

Ripples v9.49: Being Alone!

Ripples v9.49: Being Alone!
12/03/07: a free weekly splash from Paul & The Ripples Project

____________________PEBBLE ____________________

There is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious.
Life rushes back to the void, richer, more vivid, fuller than before.
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh, submitted by Lin H., Bloomington IL

____________________BOULDER ____________________

Every now and then
go away,
have a little relaxation.
For when you come back
to your work,
your judgment
will be surer.
-Leonardo Da Vinci, submitted by Lin H., Bloomington IL

____________________PONDER ____________________

By the time you read this email, I will have wrapped up my final presentation of the year, packed up my ripply Prius, and disappeared into the Colorado Rockies for my annual retreat. I found some extra time and energy (and love!) over the past few weeks to build up a full slate of Ripples issues for December. While Grendel and I meander through the mountains to hike and eat and relax and daydream, you will continue to receive a quick splash on Mondays.

Back to our theme this week of BEING ALONE. I dare you to carve out some time to be alone this week. A walk in the woods, an afternoon in the library, or even a quick five minutes with your door closed and your favorite song pumping through your earphones can go a long way in helping you restore your soul.

Enjoy every moment you are alone and enjoy every moment you are not alone.
I will look forward to connecting with you again in 2008.

Peace,
Paul

Ripples v8.36: Ripples of REST!

Ripples v8.36: Ripples of REST!
9/5/06: a FREE splash from Paul & The Ripples Project

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PEBBLE =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.
-Ovid, submitted by Judy A., Carbondale IL

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= BOULDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o

To look backward for a while
is to refresh the eye, to restore it,
and to render it the more fit
for its prime function of looking forward.
-Margaret Fairless Barber, submitted by Donna B., Indianapolis IN

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PONDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

I have some good news, and some more good news. Which do you want first?

Well the first good news is that I have carved out some time this month to escape work and many of the routine chores and patterns that have gradually become my life. My goal is mostly to REST: to sleep and stroll and read and relax and walk and play with my dog. I also intend to to let my heart, mind, and soul meander through all the brainstorms and ponderings I have had about The Ripples Project over the past 8 years. I hope to emerge from this sabbatical with a fresh perspective and some new possibilities to share with you.

The other good news: thanks to our updated newsletter software and our new, larger home base on the internet, I will be able to take some REST while you still receive Ripples! Over the past few weeks, I have created several fresh issues and loaded them up to be sent out automatically over the next few Mondays.

Enjoy the next few weeks, and I will be back soon with stories of my adventures!

Peace,
Paul

Ripples v6.20: Ripples of SILENCE!

Ripples v6.20: Paul's FREE Weekly Splash of Inspiration for 11,000+

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PEBBLE =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself
and know that everything in this life has a purpose.
-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, submitted by Trish R., Flagstaff, AZ

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= BOULDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o

Everyone should carefully observe
Which way their heart draws them,
And then follow that way
With all their strength.
-source unknown, submitted by Kerry K., Jackson, MI

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PONDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

I found some time to be silent this week, and I heard a request for
more silence. I am going to honor that request by pressing PAUSE
on Ripples. For the first time in the almost six years of Ripples,
I shall skip the next few "Monday Morning Splashes" and I promise
a renewed, replenished Paul upon my return.

In the meantime, try this:
Shhhhhhhhhhhh.
Get really quiet for a moment.

Listen to your thoughts.
Listen to your feelings,
Listen to your soul.

Act upon what you hear,
Trust your truth.

Peace,
Paul