Two Voices: I see you!

I am searching for a way to connect even more with my loved ones. There was a time when each breath and happy moment needed the support and caring of my mom, brother, daughters. How to enrich this experience as we are scattered across distance and time, all adults and on our own paths?

How does my family show up in my climb of my Everest? How involved are they and do they want to be? How am I a witness to theirs?

I let them know of their importance to me, is that enough? The question arising today in my mastermind group discussion. The answer springs forth as I sit in the river. It is not enough to put on my own oxygen mask. Clearly I need to do it first …. And then …. What next?

I can share more the actions I am taking and my magnificent obsession … Or not. If they wanted to know, would they not already ask?

Do any of us know there is a “there” to get to?

Can I invite others to witness? I suppose in many ways that is what this blog is about! I write my stories as they happen, as if my voice and ah-has matter to the world.

Mike Dooley says he “knocked on doors and uncovered stones”. That was his way to bring his Notes From the Universe and ‘Infinite Possibilities’ to the world. He shared his early business in partnership with his mother and brother. They built it together.

In reflection today and over the past week, in workshops and subsequently meeting and witnessing a brilliant woman, Natasha, and then reflecting with my mastermind Tenzing Norgay, Deb …. I have come to the moment I want to share.

I recall the conference where I met and listened to (witnessed) the first woman from North America, a Canadian, to climb the highest mountain in the world, and she spoke about the power of witness and communication. As they raced to the top of Mt Everest deciding what to take on and what to leave behind, the Canadian team decide to have radios keep them company. When quitting and turning back was on everyone’s mind, a voice, from the radio … barely audible says, ” I can see you from here. I see you.” You are almost there, I can see you take those steps and reach your goal.

Ah-ha! This is the magic. This is what I offer to my loved ones. I am the voice on the radio. I see you! I can see you from here and I am a fan of your journey. I can see you do what is important to you and I will always be the voice you hear as you succeed.

I love you. I am sorry for whatever in my past, my actions, or those of my ancestors, that may have caused this crisis. Please forgive me. Thank you.

With love

Pamela
Xo

Joy is …..

…Travel with awesome people to foreign lands, women holding hands around the world!

…My grandsons playing hide and seek and squealing with delight when I share loving moments and peak around corners looking for their excited faces. Oh, what a delight is Grammie-love!

…Moments of pleasure in reflection on my great life experiences so far.

…Creativity in visualization, extreme positive emotions imaging my future.

…I see a large white bedroom, loft perhaps, on the top floor, penthouse condo, all glass walls. Views of stunning colourful sun rise and set, the changing of the seasons and natures display, birdsong filling the air and calls from the sea. I see a writing table, or two or three, in strategic view points around the expansive and simple floor plan. I see computer screens with stories being written, preparing for my artistic expression. A den with quilting machine busy finishing stunningly beautiful fabric creations, sewn stories with love and fine threads. I see hardwood floors and tiles, heated from underneath adding warmth wherever I step. Fireplace in the common living area, as well in the sitting area of my bedroom filling the space with warmth and subtle flickers of light. Wall space, covered with my artistic expressions of watercolor memories of places I have been and have yet to visit.

…Ethical eating, vegan, gluten and sugar free, nutritional rich and colourful tasty delights. All foodies are welcome here. Dishes served on special dishes. A clean uncluttered countertop, open design, I can see the world from here!

…Travel, oh more travel! I want to regularly and several times annually to walk the cobblestone pathways and boardwalks along river ways and ocean fronts of major cities in Europe. Frequent visits to live Broadway shows in New York and London. Small Tuscan rural landscape villages spotted through fields of fragrant and colourful vibrant growing floral displays, sunflowers and lavender. Relaxed tours and tastings of vineyards and olive groves in Greece and walks through the wonderful quaint ancient islands. Finding designer clothing of white, off white and barely white flowy linen and cotton coverings. Perhaps South Pacific adventures, and Indonesia? Long walking adventures of Hadrians Wall and the Great Wall of China. To feel in my soul the places of ancient times and women ancestors calling out my name through time. “I am here. We are here”.

…Wearing flowers in my hair, flowers on my hat brims and flowers adorning my clothes and table coverings in my home. Admiring the display nature offers up generously and without expectation of return.

…Planting seeds of human kindness and world peace, forgiveness and sharing what I believe, that people do the best they can within their life circumstances. See the brilliance in resilience!

What is your name and where are you from? What is your story?

I had more ah-has about how my work has changed the world. One person at a time. I am easy world. I love me. I get how significant is one courageous person who expresses ideas a little off from mainstream; enough to gain attention and respect of those who are searching for a listening ear. Changing the world is not about doing, as much as being!

It’s truly a wonderful life. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the people that have taught me, the experiences that lead me to this day, and the buffet of opportunities in every moment to be a better person. Joy is ……. My life.

Peace be with you my friend. May you enjoy true peace within each and every moment of each day of your life. True peace is a blessing that we already have and can be in the river with always. Is peace already in your pocket? Take a look and find it in your being.

Great workshop. I am leaning into love. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. Xo. Workshop lead by indigenous elders speaking from the collective heart of generations. Oh how powerful and appreciated. Everyone sits in “being” with each other, in respect and awe of the beauty and mystery and deep knowing; willing to be vulnerable and touched by the topic of violence within intimate relationships. Words spoken, hiding nothing.

I am world class at what I do and I was forgetting it. I saw it again today when I stepped in to the workshop. I was welcomed and loved and witnessed and honoured. Just like I asked to be.

I feel so blessed to have lived the life of my dreams. I can let go of struggle, as long as I also honour and celebrate my success. And then set my sail to catch the next wind. The future is just a dream. Today is the dream I had yesterday that truly and certainly arrived!

I forget as much as I learn. It is inside me. I am so honoured to be me. To respect my gifts and to speak from my heart.

I really needed this day to get grounded. I picked up a ceremonial drum and called forth my ancestors. Powerful. I spoke about my name and what it means to me. I was welcomed into the circle.

I have been so blessed to offer witness and encouragement with the people I have met in this career. My job is probation and family court work, transition house worker, victim assistance coordinator and executive director of a social service agency. I have been a consultant, mediator, researcher and officer of the Court. Mostly I have been the recipient of such great learning: that all people do the best they can with what they have. I can be a mirror to their story and reflect another point of view. I can and do witness transformation from the most shameful moment, often, in a persons life, to the rise of self esteem that takes such courage, it brings me to tears every special day of my life.

I honour my life. I honour the mentors along my journey. I honour forgiveness and gratitude.

Thank you, thank you for this powerful and precious day. Onward, tomorrow will even bring more love!

Thanks for joining my journey of hope, love and awe.

Xoxo

On my way home. Bus riders blog

Same wonderful driver, Debbie R for greyhound. Talking the whole way. Coquihalla highway is closed so detour to Spences Bridge, back roads to Vancouver. Beautiful sunshine, mostly drive or snow packed roads.

An old bridge in the distance about two kilometres outside Vancouver. Scenic and rustic, I can see in rear view mirror.

We have talked about my new proposed career as a Greyhound bus driver and travel, domestic and exotic. Fast friends. We are talking about Italy, and great destinations, life, relationships, dreams. What an amazing gift.

I can’t say enough about this woman’s positivity and attitude toward customer service, as well as being a genuinely warm and intelligent person. Like a gem that was overlooked, but so precious. She has totally changed my view of driving bus, and even being a passenger. Now I know how pleasant a bus ride can be. The books I was going to listen to have to wait.

We are in Hope, Bc now, and I will try to save this note to the blog. Thanks Debbie R and all my friends and fellow travellers on life’s highways!

Be safe, take care and always strive to be kinder.

Love Pamela
Xoxxo

Grammielog love date 20140208. Wow! Living my dream. On a greyhound bus from the coast to Revelstoke BC to visit my lovely daughter and her precious family, two grand sons. I am excited and thrilled to be on this ride. Woman bus driver who is so terrific. The most pleasant bus ride ever.

The sun has shone with dry roads, cold temperatures and clear crisp mountain vistas. It has been at times breathtaking and live changing.

Listening to Audible on my iPhone. First Mike Dooley, I finished the Infinite Possibilities audible book. Whoa! So inspirational I had to keep stopping and taking notes. I feel transformed by his message. I put him on 1.25 speed so got to listen to more in less time. Really condensing yet getting the messages he shares. I highly recommend Mike’s work, including his brilliant daily Notes From The Universe that deliver to my gmail for free every morning. They are inspiring and help me focus and enjoy my days, my moments and my life even more every time I receive the message.

I started listening to Joe Vitale, his next book about the sacred Hawaiian spiritual traditional teaching

For lunch I picked up a wonderful warm salad with brown basmati rice with spinach, chick peas, dried cranberries, carrots and some seeds and nuts. It was a healthy place, Chopped Greens I think. Yum. Got it to go in a box and ate it on the bus, vegan gluten free, sugar free. I love my new healthy lifestyle.

Talking a lot to the fabulous woman bus driver about her hopes and dreams, travel, and her career. I think it might be fun to be a bus driver. On a day like this anyway!

Travel Vision Board

HI again. In 2012 I had my walls in one corner of my dining room completely covered in vision boards. My desk was located in that area of the house and I had hosted some vision board events, as well as worked on some of my own in the quiet inspiration of my travel booklets. I had beautiful pictures of England (stone henge), Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Nova Scotia and even New York.

They say, “thoughts become things”. When I look back on the travel events from fall 2012 through to fall 2013 I can honestly say, I am a believer! Maybe one or two pictures of places still on my bucket list, but I went to places my heart was calling me. I cruised in luxury and style to some of the most fabulous places I had desired to attend.

Last year I took down those vision boards, and staged my condo for sale. Although I am still living very comfortably, I was advised that items of a personal nature do not belong on the walls of a place for viewing by complete strangers looking to decide if they want to move in!

I am also aware that I am not presently, for the first time in several years, booked for any cruises in any time to come. My vision boards now are smaller and put away in discrete hiding places for my viewing eyes only.

I know this next year will be full of life changing surprises. I hold out for at least one drive from Vancouver Island across this vast country of Canada as I relocate for a while to the east coast, Nova Scotia. After that, I am open to return trips to include more France, more Italy and still more Greece. I want to return at least every year to explore the Mediterranean. I also have a few trips in mind, on east coast of United States. I look forward to being surprised as life offers me up opportunities to see the world in luxury and convenience.

My vision board is daily added to on my facebook page (you are welcome to join me) https://www.facebook.com/pmacdonaldtravel

As well I am always cutting pictures and imagining my trips into the future, to warm locations, hot sun, blue skies, old cobble stone streets, bridges and more bridges, beautiful meandering rivers with stories bubbling up the shore lines, fabulous gluten free vegan foods spiced with exotic and fresh ingredients, and glasses of wine fragrant and delightful from the region of the visit. I visualize my family and friends joining me in the evenings sharing a story or two of what we felt about that day. Displaying the new items purchased from busy markets and or local designer shops. My suitcase is almost always ready packed …. Ipad at the ready for storing pictures to last me a life time, or at least until I get home and paint the essence on watercolor sheets, now sitting white and waiting.

Music and dancing are in my future, visits to foreign places and romance on walkways of history. My travel treasure map seems to be internal for now and as powerful as any dream I have ever had.

What’s on your list?

Love and safe travels, in time and space,
Pamela

I am inspired to share this blog, for lots of various reasons, mostly to do with my climb. You might recall last year or the year before I wrote (what I think is one of my very best pieces of blogwork) a story on my climb of Mt Everest. Thanks to my friend Deb, this is now affectionately referred to as ‘My Everest’. She is brilliant!

Back to my story, and my reasons to share. This year entered with a few magnificent obsession plans ( thanks Robin Sharma for the phrase and inspiration). It boils up to three areas of extreme and epic focus: writing, meditation and radiant fitness.

Today the page turned in the year, February, the shortest and most powerful month of the year, especially for romance! I am not among the many who have long since forgotten their resolutions from just 31 precious days ago. I am building on and entering the next phase, the second month, and with it, my new habits.

I started reminding myself of my focus for attention using my iPhone, iPad, blue index cards and even notes on my white board at work.

Being more mindful includes focus and dedication to a meditation practice, or at least, for me. Something non religious. Time spent in the stillness of the present, not wishing for more tomorrow or regretting the past. While I have many CDs and DVDs as well as countless downloads within every possible moments grasp, I love the activity and intention of a meditation sit with strangers.

When I moved to the most beautiful city in Canada, Victoria BC, I had never done it and had no inkling in my “thoughts become things” repertoire. In fact I don’t think it was even in a library of activities I had any idea about. I am now proud and inspired by my actions in this vein. I have taken many courses, sat on weekend retreats, attended meetup events and even thoroughly enjoyed five days of silence in a little retreat centre called Bethlehem. I have walked virtually going nowhere in the circles of labyrinth. I have read countless books of bound paper as well as on my Kindle ereader. I have driven my car to the wisdom of “don’t bite the hook” instructions by Pema Chodron. By the way, I strongly recommend everyone get that cd and listen to it thirty or forty times 🙂

Ok, so today my plan was to attend the Shambhala Meditation Center near my home for their free offering of a three hour drop in, come and go as you like, alternating sitting and walking meditations every Saturday morning. Donned with my shawl, and out for a walk in the crisp morning air I arrived in plenty of time and listened to some Mike Dooley audio book en route.

I found a lovely place to sit near some white orchids, by the window so I can also enjoy bird song provided by some very fat little brown birds perched and chattering on the ledge from the upstairs meditation hall.

The singing bowl has been struck and the sound still resonates in the ear long after the room is silent. Ahhhhhhhh, how I love that sound! Sit, walk, sit, walk, breathe, relax, stay awake and repeat. The last sit, my relaxed gaze follows a movement out the corner of my eye. A very pale coloured, and quite petite sized eight legged creature is coming. He moves at a rapid pace and seems to have me his sights. Breathe. Relax. Softly I think, “well, universe, I would sure appreciate sharing the space with mr. Spider, if he stays where I can see him.” The full width of the lovely window that gave me refuge and entertainment, is now the focus of my heretofore meditative relaxed gaze. Little spider gets his message from me, I assume, and takes up his spot at the very end of the window ledge, closest to me. He and I are going to share this spot, or I will let him have it to himself. I sit, I breathe and focus on my breath. In, out, one, in, out, two, in, out, three, …. You get the picture. I have no longer any urge to close my eyes or fall softly asleep. I am alert and present to this moment, this space. Time passed, as it always does.

The sound of the Tibetan bowl rings relief to my ears, I gather my coat and belongings, and head off, ready to spend my day creating progress in the other areas of my life, eating vegan sugar-free, gluten-free and no fat nutritional meals, exercise and writing to the universe.

Thanks for listening, reading and breathing along with me.

All my love,

Pamela