I was sitting in a cafe writing the other day. As I sat there immersed in my work, an older age brother and sister walked in with their elderly mother. Their mother was assisted by a walker and the careful guiding and navigating of her ‘kids’. It took quite a bit of shuffling around to get the seating just right. The elderly mother was hard of hearing, as evidenced by the siblings’ loud, raised voices used when trying to communicate with her. The mother seemed out of it and not too fussed about what was going on.

Then the son took out a hearing aid, placed it in his mother’s ear, and a different woman emerged. It was almost like she came alive. Despite her frailty and not so working order her smile beamed across the cafe. Her laughter caught the ear of everyone around her. As I looked at her I could see the sparkle of life fully brilliant in her eyes. Nothing was stopping her from being herself. She may be in a run down vehicle but what was going on inside certainly had some puff left.

Community, Thoughts to ponder, Wisdom storiesJenn Shallvey19 August 2012

Changing jobs is about being you

I have recently been involved in supporting a person who needed to make a big decision. Not one that could be taken lightly or dismissed with a random toss of the coin. No, this person needed to choose between being part of a particular organisation or staying authentic in the expression of self as a person.

As such a scenario is highly confidential, I will modify the facts to be more generic, change context and stay fairly high level. I instead will pen this more as a story rather than a literal retelling of facts. I believe that many of you will relate. So let me share with you this tale.

© Jenn Shallvey

Career transition, Conscious leadership, Wisdom storiesJenn Shallvey30 April 2012

A letter to you before you are no longer physically here

Dear loved one,

I send you this letter as a gesture of spirit, from one human being to another.

You want for nothing, for your life has meaning. Your presence in this world every day touches those around you, brightens their day and makes a difference, no matter how big or how small.

Do not regret any unfinished or undone business in your life. You live life according to your way and are an example to others for honoring this path.

Fairies need farmers

Many years ago I used to visit a clairvoyant on a regular basis to get my tarot cards read to me. This lady came with high recommendations and reputable referrals from some coworkers. At the time I had full appreciation and respect for the reader’s gifts as her insight was so profoundly accurate and insightful.

I would visit this lady like anyone would see a coach or a counselor. In fact I explained our regular six monthly sessions as my spiritual counseling. I would gain much from the thoughts and ideas she unveiled and allowed me to consider. Never did she forebode nor portend doom or gloom. No, there may have been challenges or other issues in my way to address, but nothing predictive. Instead we explored many facets of my life journey at that time. We focused surprisingly on the present and the way that I traveled my life path. I share below an interesting comment she made to me once.

Living the dreamer’s life

First let me set some context. For years I have always lived the idealist’s life, dreaming of the next possibility, thinking way in the future. The upside to this way of seeing the world is that I am forever inspired, inventive, idea oriented and creative in my approaches. The cost and challenge of this life is that I have had and still do sometimes avoid or absent-mindedly deal with the reality of practical life situations. Even so I still managed to develop skillfully the outer ability to be organized and practical.

Relationships, Wisdom storiesJenn Shallvey3 November 2009

A magpie pooped in my kitchen today

Today I thought I would share another wisdom story for some entertainment and insight.

I heard a thud and a sound like something had fallen in my kitchen. I went to check it out. I came up the stairs to the landing in the kitchen and found a pile of poop on the floor. Not just a small dropping but a big pile from a big bird. The culprit – my friend the magpie. I know because he sat on the railing just outside the open door facing me. He looked at me with a cheeky cock of his head as if to say “you can’t catch me but I can certainly sneak in and get your fruit when you aren’t looking”.

My kitchen table was covered in fruit – much more than normal. I had a bag of mandarins, a giant bowl of pears, one of bananas and two of apples – one green, the other red. A true feast and smorgasboard for any passing bird I am sure!

So I figured it out quickly. Not able to resist the temptation of this feast, the magpie actually risked coming into my house to see what he could get.

Wisdom storiesJenn Shallvey10 July 2008

Be a giraffe and get what you want

What if you were a giraffe I said to someone the other day while driving near the zoo. Aside from the un-REAL nature of this conversation and the fact that I would have a great view of the Sydney harbour I got REALly serious about the question.

So what about you? If you were a giraffe what would I tell you?

Stick your neck out and you will obtain the lushest, most prized and desired part of the tree. However don’t stay too long up in the trees reaping and taking these rewards or you will end up in the clouds out of touch with reality.

You need to drink water as much as you need to eat. This means dipping your head down to the ground. At this level you are with everyone else in reality. You are the same. You also must share what is available with all.

If however you stay down here too long you will unnaturally extend yourself and physically be challenged. You are not designed to be like this all the time.

You can choose when to use your gifts whether motivated by necessity, pleasure, desire or generousity.

If you are able to reach to the tops of the trees you are also able to reach to places others can not, or at least they think they can not.

For we all are limited sometimes by the physical reality to which we are born. A rhinocerous would never think that it could get to the top of the tree to get the best leaves. However if the rhinocerous cooperated with the giraffe he would.

So there are two parts to getting what you want. Firstly you can reach and attain the prize and therefore can enjoy. Secondly you also can share what you have access to so that all may partake.

Let's go there...

Jenn

Wisdom storiesJenn Shallvey26 June 2008