What I Learned in October

Emily Freeman is hosting her What I Learned link up again this month, one of my very favorites. The great thing about this link up is all the additional things I learn by reading others’ posts…outstanding blogs I wasn’t aware of, not so trivial trivia, fun facts, inspiration, and so much more. Head over to Chatting at the Sky to peruse.

Here’s what I learned in October.

….something I didn’t know about how women who show up show up… 

Do it afraid. I have shied away from heeding this advice, yet when I have, I’ve succeeded. I’ve sucked it up, quit being a chicken, jumped in, allowed no time whatsoever to talk myself out of it. In those rare times, low and behold, it’s proven to be a wonderful experience. Nevertheless, it is not happened enough…not nearly enough.  If you’ve been waiting, searching, wondering when or if you’re ever going to begin living the life you were meant to live, listen to this short video. Hear and heed. And if you’re still paralyzed by fear or insecurity or doubt or excuses, or whatever it is that’s holding you back from being brave, then at the very least you might get a wee bit closer to throwing caution to the wind and _____.

…about a new perspective on purpose 

While we’re on the subject of searching for the life you were meant to live, may I also suggest a terrific book I’ve read recently? Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer provides a refreshing perspective to the frequent perplexity involved in searching for one’s purpose. This book takes that search from the mentality of discovery to one of realization, thus the title…let your life speak. Could it be that, like most things we go questing for, it’s right under our noses but we’re too busy looking for something out there…somewhere outside our self? Palmer says, “Vocation at its deepest level is, ‘This is something I can’t not do, for reasons I’m unable to explain to anyone else and don’t fully understand myself but that are nonetheless compelling.’” What am I already doing? What is that thing…no matter how unremarkable I deem it? Explore that. Let Your Life Speak is a short, easy read that packs a powerful punch…uncommon wisdom and inspiration that I’ve decided will have a permanent home on my bookshelf. You can read an excerpt or listen to a sample of the Audible audio edition here.

…about a unique, creative way to document life 

Thanks to my sons (one who brought the sales pitch and the other who bought the phone) I’ve joined the ranks of iPhone owners. Learning my way around the new operating system hasn’t been much of a problem but replacing my favorite Android apps with similar iOS apps has been a bit time consuming. Nevertheless, while searching the AppStore I did discover a terrific little app called Stellar, which allows you to create beautiful visual stories to document your travel adventures, favorite photos, recipe creations, family fun or simply your everyday life…all using your own pictures, videos, and text. There’s lots of inspiration to explore by viewing what others have created (you can follow and like the people and projects you admire) to get your own creative juices flowing or to just be entertained. I’m no expert in photography or in using this app, but here is my first little creation documenting our most recent motorcycle trip. If you create an account let me know so I can follow your “stellar” life.

…that there’s no shortage of corn in America 

On the spur of the moment my husband and I decided that, rather than using a transport company, we would fly to Iowa to pick up his new(est) motorcycle and drive it back to New York…a 12oo mile road trip on a not-any-wider-than-an-alligator seat through the heartland of America. The weather forecast for the next 10 days was picture perfect along the entire route so we bought the tickets and set out for what we hoped would be a wonderful adventure. Thankfully, it was! Totally terrific. With no particular agenda but not wanting to tax ourselves too much we set out, making time on super highways while still making time for scenic byways.  We saw lots of sights along the way, stopping spontaneously at charming shopping villages, classic car shows, interesting eateries, and even the little Illinois town where we first met over 37 years ago. But what we saw the most of….corn! Field after golden field for miles and miles, combines rolling state after state after state…harvesting some of the 87 million acres of corn grown each year here in the United States of America…six of which we saw under the spacious skies and across the fruited plain that is America the beautiful…riding on an alligator seat.

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