IN THIS ISSUE: WAKING UP WITH ENTHUSIASM
WISDOM: "Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape."
Unknown
COACH'S CHALLENGE: BEGIN BY WAKING UP!
NEW WEBSITE: WWW.COACHDIVORCE.COM
SOUL TRAVEL: CAPTAIN CRANKY TO THE RESCUE
2003 RIVER TRIP
WAKING UP WITH ENTHUSIASM
In the movie "13 Conversations About One Thing", the ordinary wife queries her ordinary husband, "What do you want?" He responds, "To wake up with enthusiasm." "That is it," I thought. "That says it all!" The moment created one of those little shifts … the kind where you suddenly feel your bank of wisdom just got a deposit. Imagine if we could each wake up with enthusiasm each day!
In the movie, the husband (and almost everyone else in the movie) makes all the wrong choices searching for magic and loses everything. Okay, lesson learned. We've probably all been there and done that to some extent at one time or another. What makes life a little better for the curmudgeons and the depressed in the movie turns out to be small kindnesses. It is a good movie, but I would not exactly "upbeat".
Life is not necessarily upbeat every day for any of us but we sure have the power to choose our response. And we have the power to affect others in a wonderful or ill-chosen way.
It often takes a conscious intention "to wake up with enthusiasm", and some days require more intention than others.
WHEN WE WALK TO THE EDGE OF ALL THE LIGHT
WE HAVE AND TAKE THE STEP INTO THE
DARKNESS OF THE UNKNOWN, WE MUST BELIEVE
ONE OF TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN. THERE WILL
BE SOMETHNG SOLID FOR US TO STAND ON, OR
WE WILL BE TAUGHT TO FLY.
S. MARTIN EDGES
(Now that is "enthusiasm" at its highest and best use.)
Here's hoping you are able to "wake up with enthusiasm" each day, ready to extract and manifest the best that is available. Here's hoping you can pass your enthusiasm on to those around you and, in so doing, brighten a small piece of the universe.
WWW.COACHDIVORCE.COM- I have just put up a website for my divorce coaching practice. Being a divorce coach is, or course, a natural for me and I felt divorce coaching needed its own site as it was separate from divorce mediation and didn't seem to fit with my Dance with Eagles coaching site. Not too many people involved in a divorce feel like dancing with eagles. ON THIS SITE YOU WILL ALSO FIND THE FIRST CHAPTER OF A BOOK I AM WRITING. THE WORKING TITLE IS "DIVORCE: TAKING THE HIGH ROAD". The chapter is called "Processing the Decision to Divorce" and is available as a free download. If you or anyone you know is contemplating divorce, in the middle of a divorce, or soon to be divorced, you might want to refer them to this site. I think the information might be helpful.
Yes, I now have three websites: www.Azfamilymediationcenter.com, www.dancewitheagles.com, and www.coachdivorce.com. Seems a little excessive but there is some logic behind it.
I am delighted to include in this Museletter contributions from readers - a tale from our Green River Expedition from one of the rafters and a poem from a reader who was inspired by the article about seeking adventure.
RIVER TRIP pictures
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SOUL TRAVEL: CAPTAIN CRANKY TO THE RESCUE
by Stephen Terrill (nom de plume)
The river rafters for the July trip down the Green River from western Colorado to eastern Utah were a motley crew. The twenty-two souls from different walks of life and different parts of the country included a law professor from Buffalo, a retired 30 something dot.com entrepreneur, a couple of family mediators from Phoenix, a retired Sierra Club type who had led many treks to Nepal and miscellaneous other interesting men and women, some with their children. One child was a boy named Malcolm.
Malcolm was twelve. He and his family ended up on the raft piloted by Jeff, a lanky 39 year old with a long history of rafting experience and little patience with insubordinate and sulky pre-teens.
Almost immediately, Jeff sensed Malcolm's moody indifference to his family's excitement about the impending launch and four glorious days on the river. As everyone boarded the raft, Jeff tried to coax Malcolm into a more congenial mood, explaining how much fun everyone was going to have. Malcolm, sullen as a toad on a cold morning, would have none of it. Pouting, he expressed doubts about the entire trip and announced he was already bored. Jeff, reminding Malcolm that he was in command of the boat, stated that all passengers would smile, laugh when appropriate and generally have a good time. Critical remarks, pessimism and poutiness were forbidden.
Malcolm rebelled, defying the Captain and saying HE could do whatever HE wanted, and HE wasn't going to have any fun! Jeff could see that, if this trip was going to be successful, dramatic action needed to be taken immediately. He announced that the next negative comment would land the nay-sayer in the river. Malcolm pooh-poohed his threat and repeated what a dull misadventure his father's plan for a vacation had turned out to be.
Quick as a current surging over the rocks, Jeff scooped Malcolm up by his life jacket and launched him into the chilly river. Malcolm rose sputtering to the surface and shouted that Jeff had to be the "crankiest captain on the river." Thereafter, Malcolm always referred to Jeff as 'Captain Cranky', a moniker quickly adopted by the other seven children on the trip and eventually the adults. But Jeff didn't mind; he had earned this title and the respect it generated in the children. Captain Cranky had especially endeared himself to Malcolm's parents.
From the moment Malcolm emerged from the river, the whole tenor on Jeff's raft changed; mirth and merriment followed them down the river for the next four days. From what I could observe, Malcolm was having the time of his life.
As for Captain Cranky, he continues to pilot rafts down the rivers of the southwest for Dinosaur Expeditions (800-345-7238). Go, and you are guaranteed a great time. But don't take any sulky kids along -- unless you are seeking a quick cure for adolescent ennui.
SKIP AND GO NAKED
By Anonymous Reader
Tiptoeing through tall, green grasses,
Glistening morning mandalas everywhere,
spun from silken strands
by eight-legged artists.
Slipping off purple pants and white Tee,
the gray-blond goddess silently
slips into the liquid mirror.
Three-tailed nymphs and tadpoles
with tiny back legs
wiggle away
from the skinny dipper,
giggling as they go.
2003 RIVER TRIP - FLOAT TRIP DOWN THE RIO GRANDE, BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS
This is a five day river float trip (no rapids) through two gorgeous canyons with an outfitter I have rafted with twice before - in Arizona and in Mexico - and can vouch for the quality of their trips. (The food is superb.) I have consistently heard people talk about these canyons and how beautiful they are. This trip has been on my list for some time. We will have live music, campfires and lots of elective hiking opportunities. (Fire was no problem in Texas this year if you built it in a fire pan.) Trip on the river begins February 24 through February 28 plus a day on each side for travel to Midland, Texas and renting a car for four hour drive to Big Bend. We can share the cost of a rental car or cars. The February timing is important because of water level. It is highest at this time and will assure us (reasonably) that there will be water enough to float the choicest canyons. The water will probably be too cold for swimming for most people but the weather should be very pleasant. We will have the trip entirely to ourselves if we number at least eight people. The river trip will cost approximately $690 plus transportation to Midland and cost of rental car and two nights lodging.. This is a great place to try out your river wings. If you think you are interested, please let me know. NEED $350.00 deposit by October 31. (Phone: 480-949-9511)
Next Month: Thailand - Land of Smiles
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: "Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do." Mark Twain - "Adventures of Tom Sawyer". (Doesn't what you define as "work" boil down to attitude? Perhaps we are back to "enthusiasm" again!")
Have a great month!
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I WANT TO THANK THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ARE ENJOYING THE MUSELETTER AND THANKS ALSO TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE GIVEN ME E MAILS OF OTHERS YOU THINK MIGHT ENJOY IT. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO HEAR FROM YOU. YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED!
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MAILING LIST OF AT LEAST 1000 BY THE END OF THE YEAR SO PLEASE KEEP THE REFERRALS COMING.
EXPLORE MY WEBSITE AND PHOTO GALLERY AT WWW.DANCEWITHEAGLES.COM
EMAIL: allison@dancewitheagles.com
Feel free to forward this on to anyone you believe might enjoy it and encourage them to subscribe for themselves. Comments, submissions and suggestions are welcome. My email is allison@dancewitheagles.com Although this material is subject to copyright, you may reprint this publication in whole or in part or use it in any way you feel it might be of benefit. Please state the following: Reprinted with permission from Allison Quattrocchi of Dance with Eagles, www.dancewitheagles.com All past museletters are posted on my website.
Names of subscribers will never be shared or sold.
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WINGS Vol. 1, No. 8, September, 2002
