Author: Anne

This author has written 790 articles

LET THEM NOT SAY

Let them not say: we did not see it.
We saw.

Let them not say: we did not hear it.
We heard.

Let them not say: they did not taste it.
We ate, we trembled.

Let them not say: it was not spoken, not written.
We spoke, we witnessed with voices and hands.

Let them not say: they did nothing.
We did not-enough.

Let them say, as they must say something: 

A kerosene beauty.
It burned.

Let them say we warmed ourselves by it,
read by its light, praised,
and it burned.

Jane Hirshfield is the author of nine collections of poetry, includingThe Beauty: Poems (Alfred A. Knopf, 2015), which was long listed for the National Book Award. She served as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets from 2012 to 2017. This poem was written in 2014.

REFLECTION:

  • As a new year begins, what do you need to see, hear, taste that you have not?
  • Do you feel you have done enough to address the local or global issues?  Will the next generation say you (we) did nothing? 
  • What action do you want to take on – whether environmental, social justice, or political issues in the coming year? 

EMIT YOUR OWN FREQUENCY

Everything changes when you start to emit your own frequency rather than absorbing the frequencies around you, when you start imprinting your intent on the universe rather than receiving an imprint from existence.  Sometimes, the darkest challenges, the most difficult lessons, hold the greatest gems of light.”

Quote by Barbara Marciniak – author of BRINGERS OF THE DAWN

REFLECTION:

  • As the year comes to a close, reflect on your darkest challenges.  What gems of light have resulted from your most difficult lessons this year?
  • As we turn the page to a new year, how can you imprint your intent on the universe?
  • What does that look like?  Write down a few ideas on what would allow you to emit rather than absorb.

SPEAKING TO YOURSELF

Don’t speak negatively about yourself, even as a joke.  Your body doesn’t know the difference.  Words are energy and cast spells, that’s why it’s called spelling.  Change the way you speak about yourself and you can change your life.  What you’re not changing, you’re also choosing. 

Quote from Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee was a martial artist, martial arts instructor, Hong Kong actor, director and philosopher.

REFLECTION:

  • Are you aware of what you say to yourself?
  • Are there changes you need to make in what you say or don’t say to yourself?
  • REMEMBER: what you’re not changing, you’re choosing!
  • Do you want to make a different choice in your self-talk?