The ancient Hawaiians teach that we are all born with a Bowl of Light. That light inspires us and sustains us. As we grow in experience and wisdom of love, our light shines. But every time we lie, steal, or injure others, a stone gets placed in the bowl. This stone displaces the light. If …Read More
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“The Box” by Dr. Joel Storyteller
To my Storytelling Fans! I discovered this memory in a storytelling workshop several years ago with Kim Weitkamp. She is masterful in teaching how to find your story ideas, and I love sharing her technique of memory mapping in workshops. In 2013, my audience was Toastmasters so the memory became a speech for a contest. …Read More
Winter, time for reflection
Guest Blog Post by Janis McCall: Here in the wilds of Argyll in Scotland, high in the Northern Hemisphere, close to the Arctic Circle, the depths of Winter are very evident. The days grow ever shorter, and darkness is the norm for 18+ hours per day. However, this is not a time of despair but …Read More
The Peppermint Pig
After the Christmas meal, the pink candy pig is passed around the dinner table with a bag and a nickel-plated hammer. Each person smashes off a piece of the pig, takes it out of the bag, and shares a story of good fortune from the past year in hopes of prosperity and good luck for …Read More
Black Elk Speaks: Vision of Unity
“… I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people …Read More
Six-Word Stories
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” ~ Ernest Hemingway Can you create a story in 6 words? Ernest Hemingway met the challenge with his famous six-word story. Stories can take many forms. Most are more than 6 words. Movies, television, commercials, oral storytelling performance, novels, short stories … What makes a story? The elements of …Read More
Poem: Wolf Path – Animal Medicine
Several years ago, my friend Jamie McCall was working with his “inner wolf.” He felt a calling to Wolf Medicine, as the Native Americans would call it. (For the Native Americans, “Medicine” is anything that heals the body, mind, or spirit. Read my prior blog post on Animal Medicine. Here, the spiritual medicine is wisdom.) …Read More
Grace Before Meals, Grace After Meals
“It would be infinitely lonely to live in a world without blessing. The word blessing evokes a sense of warmth and protection; it suggests that no life is alone or unreachable.”~John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings When everyday moments are held sacred, there is a stillness that brings a quality …Read More
Mary Gauthier: “Mercy Now”
“Every single one of us could use some mercy now.” Enjoy the beautiful lyrics of Mary Gauthier’s “Mercy Now”, invoking forgiveness, compassion, grace, and hope for each other … and for ourselves. My friend, Dave Roelant, brings this song into men’s prisons with the transformational work of the Mankind Project. (See recent interview with Dave …Read More
Donald Davis: Tell me a story
“Tell me a story about when you were young.” If you’ve ever asked this question (or been asked), then you know the confused look that can follow. The question is way too general. Unless you have a catalog of stories already in your head, the mind goes blank. No memories are triggered. The secret is …Read More