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August 2009 Newsletter Practice Page
“Sometimes it seems as if one thing has nothing to do with another thing, but it does.” -Burghild Nina Holzer Here's something for you to think about, write about, talk about, wonder about, and try out. It's fascinating for me to discover just how connected we really are, even to the point that someone else's story, fictional or biographical, contains bits and pieces of our own story. And those bits and pieces hold a gift for us, if we can only find a way to access it. Listening-writing is a way for opening to inner wisdom; it is also a helpful device for revealing mysterious inner codes. Listen to how Burghild Nina Holzer describes this process, “But you trust, by writing down the daily fragments of awareness, that a larger network will gradually emerge, that images will come forth, a theme or direction may appear, all of which you could never have outlined, but which emerge out of deep necessities within us.” Challenge: Pay attention to the “daily fragments of awareness.” You could also think of these as clues seeking you. Listening-Writing Experiment: Here's an excerpt for you to read, found on pages 54-55 of EAT, PRAY, LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert. I had a difficult time choosing just one selection from this book because there are so many remarkable passages. If you haven't read it yet, treat yourself before the summer ends. “Tonight, this strange interior gesture of friendship—the lending of a hand from me to myself when nobody else is around to offer solace—reminds me of something that happened to me once in New York City. I walked into an office building one afternoon in a hurry, dashed into the waiting elevator. As I rushed in, I caught an unexpected glimpse of myself in a security mirror's reflection. In that moment my brain did an odd thing—it fired off this split-second message: “Hey! You know her! That's a friend of yours!” And I actually ran forward toward my own reflection with a smile, ready to welcome that girl whose name I had lost but whose face was so familiar. In a flash instant, of course, I realized my mistake and laughed in embarrassment at my almost doglike confusion over how a mirror works. But for some reason that incident comes to mind again tonight during my sadness in Rome, and I find myself writing this comforting reminder at the bottom of the page: Never forget that once upon a time, in an unguarded moment, you recognized yourself as a friend.” If you prefer to work with another selection, go ahead and do that. With pen in hand, read the selection again; this time, highlight the words that are part of your story, too. Keep in mind, there is no right and no wrong, no too-many and no not-enough. Here's an example of what this step might produce: interior The next step is to read all the words you selected, as though you were reading a sort of list poem. Whether you do this alone, with a partner, or in a group, I think it's helpful to read out loud. In a group it's interesting to hear which word combinations are repeated. Working with your own list, choose one or more of these “fragments of awareness” to explore further in writing. Here are three possibilities created from the above list: • gesture of friendship - reminds me of something - embarrassment As you begin to pay attention, your fragment of awareness acts as a listening-writing prompt. It gets you started, but it won't define or restrict what you hear and what you write. Listening, without judgment, and writing what you hear, also without judgment, swings open the door that leads to discovery. Discovery of what, you ask? There is only one way to know, and that is to pick up your pen, listen, and write what your hear.
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phone: 651-644-7766 • mail@LaurieMattila.com • www.LaurieMattila.com Bless the time spent here… seeking listening dreaming.
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