Birthing the New Story! Imagining a World that Works for All of Life
In 1987 my sister was 40 years old and having her first baby. She chose a home birth with a midwife. I questioned her choice, but Janice is a smart woman and had done the research to understand that the approach of hospitals and doctors adds unnecessary layers of procedures for protection (often their own from malpractice suits) that can often result in harm to a newborn. That’s likely why the US is “the most dangerous developed country to give birth in” according to Newsweek in 2018*. Janice gave birth to her second healthy child at age 44, again at the home of her midwife.
Back in 1987, most of us put our trust without question in the promise of existing structures and heedlessly follow their protocols in an attempt to create lives that work within an established system. Unfortunately, even though our lives as a whole aren’t working all that well, we still do. But it is 2020 and we’re starting to break the spell of believing someone knows more than we do about how to create the world to which we want to belong. Our blind allegiance is faltering, and well it should. We’re in a time of health, political, environmental, racial and financial crises. The structures we’ve relied on are crumbling, and no election or single leader can change that.
What will it take to break the spell of believing in an old way and imagine a world that works for all of life?
For years, I have been captivated by the Rumi quote, “Speak a new language so the world may be a new world.” I’ve spoken about that as I’ve sensed that there are languages of the soul that can awaken us to new ways of seeing and being that open the way to the new world we trust is possible and want to co-create.
4 Ways to Work with Gail
Let’s stop watching the newsand make the news!I invite you to join the unmistakable calling of our times to bring your imagination and voice to a new story that is being born in your heart! Like many of us, I’ve been in a wait and watch mode since early March. I’ve sensed something is incubating that is not yet formed. With scheduled travel cancelled, it seemed like a good time to bring a new puppy into my life. What an adventure that has been–for both me and my 9-year old dog Paqo — who is sort of adjusting but remains less than thrilled!
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A new rhythm for new times
Some of you know that my customary way to just stop has been to break bones. Yes, sometimes two, or sprain both feet! All amount to a full stop. Enforced! No negotiation!
I’m not kidding. The day I was to start my Transformational Speaking book tour, I broke bones in both legs and was confined to bed for a week until the swelling subsided and I could be trussed up. (My friend Lisa called it “extreme avoidance.”)
Then when I launched Transformational Speaking Online, I broke my hip in the middle of our series of 8 weekly community calls. I didn’t see my home again for nearly 3 weeks.
When my dear friend Margaret died, I missed two stairs and her memorial service in San Miguel de Allende when I sprained both feet.
In the shamanic path, we know that breaking a bone is about breaking a pattern. It was clear to me in all the above cases that my pattern was to move too fast to pay attention to what my body and soul were telling me.
Calling All Voices
The Four Questions You Must Ask Yourself to Ignite Your Holy Fool
Many of you are asking for the four questions from our Calling All Voices event. Yes! When you take the time to thoughtfully consider your answers, you’re on track to stewarding your strand in the web of life.
One Woman’s Effect: Zoe Tryon, Disturbing the Comfortable!!
The Honourable Zoe Tryon could have married a “lovely” Earl or Lord and lived in a castle. But the Amazon called to her instead, inspiring her great passion to be a voice for the voiceless. She has fallen in love with a people whose ancestral lands are being devastated by oil drilling, whose children are dying because their only source of water is poisoned.
Zoe in Ecuador -“Big Oil’s Dirty Secret”
Wisdom from Holy Fools
Here is some sage counsel from last year’s featured Holy Fools.
Chris Jordan: When someone says, “Be more practical,” they are scared for you. You don’t really overcome fear, but you can develop a relationship with it and learn to contain it. The bigger fear for me was not living my own life.
Atina Diffley. I knew I was the person to take on the Koch brothers to stop a pipeline on our organic farm. To keep going, I kept giving myself little dares. Taking the leap is a lot like planting a field. You keep working and never know if you’ll get a crop. I call that “engaged optimism.”
Karen Brody: Every day I wake up with a huge YES! Follow your yesses. It is hard? Absolutely. It is worth it? Absolutely. Continue reading
Personal Reflections on We the People
We the People
The U.S. mid-term election results were a reminder that once a constituency is “won,” it is only the beginning of a relationship. Just as motivational fervor is quick to die after the speaker sells a bunch of product, a politician’s success is not sustainable without continued attention to those who voted. Last week’s Transformational Speaking class said it well: Love Your Audience! As evidence of the disengagement of Obama’s base, only 9 million young people voted this week compared to 23 million in 2008. At the same time, the zeal of the Tea Party ignited a movement. It seems the rigor of getting elected pales in comparison to that of governing. Continue reading
Your Soul is Rooting for You
Danielle LaPorte writes a blog www.WhiteHotTruth.com I wouldn’t miss. On this day of Thanksgiving in the U.S., she reminds us “Your Soul is Rooting for You.”
I love this! Because today I am packing my car for a 4-day journey to Santa Fe and an unknown adventure which I am taking at the urging of my soul. My soul wants winter sunshine and a place of belonging . . . where my body feels good to live in, my heart expands, and my spirit soars. (My mind simply wants a rest.) Continue reading
The Bachelor, The Dumpee, and The Rest of the Story
Last week “The Bachelor,” a long-running television reality show where bachelors and bachelorettes alike meet eager singles in the hope of finding lasting romance, broke its psychological contract with its millions of viewers. The story line is that over several weeks the bachelor will winnow down the field of 25 eager young women, each week handing out roses to those he wishes to keep on board for glamorous dates in exotic locales, to one lucky “contestant” who will receive a marriage proposal. The show is an ego-enhancing exercise for the bachelor-in-season and a challenging competition for the ladies in waiting. On the last show, it came down to two women, only one of whom would receive “the final rose.” Yet the marriage proposal by Jason to Melissa was just the beginning of the off-television romance where the bloom wore off. As Paul Harvey, the beloved radio personality who passed last weekend, consistently reminded us, “Now, for the rest of the story.” Continue reading
Books by Transformational Speakers for your Holiday Gift List!
The transformational times in which we live have seeded remarkable projects, ideas, and books from our alumni. As you choose gifts this holiday season, I invite you to consider these books by some of our Transformational Speaking superstars over the last year. I’ve also added some beloved favorites from the past in case you missed them!
Transformational Speaking continues to reach a global audience. Here’s why:
“I’ve dog-eared your book Transformational Speaking so much that I’m tempted to walk it before going to bed, and give it its own water bowl. I want so badly to plagiarize from it, but I know that’s naughty so I restrain myself. It’s just that when something is said in such a way that it can never be said any better, what am I to do?” – Esther Luttrell
Recently Released or Available for Pre-Order!
Sheila Ohlsson Walker ?-
Wise Decisions
Monique Gray Smith ?-
Braiding Sweetgrass
Elisa Hallerman PhD -
Soulbriety
Danielle LaPorte -
How to Be Loving
Ruby Warrington ?-
Women Without Kids
Gayle Colman -
The Body of Money
Inspiration for the Life You Want to Live
Rebecca Campbell ?-
Letters to
a Starseed
Ruby Warrington -
Sober Curious
Leah Pearlman -
Drawn Together
Nancy Levin -
The Art of Change
Patty Lennon -
Make Space
for Magic
Nancy Pickard -
Bigger Better Braver
Victoria Price -
Living Love
Maryse Cardin ?-
5-Minute
Morning Magic
Memoir
Bonny Meyer -
Perfectly Paired
Linda Durham -
Still Moving
Geneen Roth ?-
This Messy
Magnificent Life
Julie Jacky -
On the Other Side
Anne Heck -
A Fierce Belief
in Miracles
For Youth and Children
Esther Jantzen -
Walk
Monique Gray Smith -
I Hope
Michelle Spalding ?-
Nathaniel's Journey
Annmarie Chereso ?-
Little Seed's Journey
Healing
Gabby Bernstein -
Happy Days
Azita Nahai -
Trauma to Dharma
Relationships
Terri Cole -
The Boundary Boss
Amy Chan -
Breakup Bootcamp
Sylvie Thiffault ?–
Choisir et
être choisie
MaryAnne Howland -
Warrior Rising
Especially for Women
Susanna Liller - You Are a Heroine
Lee Irwin - Radiant Wise Woman
Business & Entrepreneurial Success
Tia Graham -
Be a Happy Leader
Susie deVille -
Buoyant
Michelle Spaulding ?-
Glitter, Duct Tape
and Magic
Diana Chapman ?-
15 Commitments of
Conscious Leadership
Gregg Brown ?-
Ready... Set...
Change Again!
Beth Cougler -
Design to Engage
Animals
Linda Bender -
Animal Wisdom
Lori Robinson -
Saving Wild
I’m blessed by the opportunity to work with and learn from all these amazing authors and speakers. Yes, we are all both teachers and students!
Do you have a book in you?
Check out Beth Kempton’s The Way of the Fearless Writer
Are you committed to writing your book in 2023? If so, check out the year-long Writer’s Mastermind Academy beginning in January. It is presented live or on zoom by the National Speakers Association (Albuquerque chapter) and there are a few openings. I’ll be the kick-off speaker in January on Finding the Heart in Your Message.
NEW! Writer’s Academy – NSA-New Mexico (nsanm.org)
Happy Reading! And may your holy-day season be one of love, blessings, and magic.
P.S. If you’ve been part of a Transformational Speaking training and have a book we’ve missed, do let us know so we can celebrate with you! My work has created a close community of friends and clients who stay in touch and often hire me when it’s time to prepare for a book launch. That (and Facebook!) are how we’ve gathered this list.