Over the last month, I have started regularly walking about 30-40 minutes several days a week. For me, walking is much more than physical exercise. When I walk, my mind can relax. When I’m relaxed and not focused on doing, ideas come to me. At the same time, it’s also important for me not to be attached to when and how ideas come.
A few days ago I had planned to combine my walk with checking out a new neighborhood meditation group about 1 ½ miles away. I wanted to meet some of my neighbors and meditate in a group to get my ideas flowing. Spirit had other plans. I got mixed up as to which street it was on. By the time I realized what had happened, it was too late for me to get there on time. At this point, I had a mental choice. I could beat myself upset for my mistake, or I could flow and accept that planning to go the meditation was a stepping stone to something else. Long ago I would have gone with the first option. Now the second one comes naturally to me. Perhaps I was meant to take a longer than normal meditative walk into a part of town that I don’t know very well.
Waking up in the morning is another creative time for me. My ideal time to wake up is around 7-7:30. However, once I wake up, I don’t like to rush around in the morning. That’s why I usually don’t schedule anything until around 10 or even 11. Ideas are most likely to pop into my head if I stay in bed for 30 minutes or so in a meditative state. I recently came up with a new very affordable community rental plan in this way. If I’d jumped out of bed, I would have missed it.
Relaxing over breakfast, my shower, and my morning walk, allowed me to continue focusing on the idea. While I hadn’t been thinking about a community rental option, I had been thinking about what I want 2020 to look like for Songbird. The rental option is part of that. I didn’t run it by anyone else before finalizing it and emailing it to the Songbird practitioner list. It felt right and I felt no need for advice.
My vision for 2020 is still evolving, but one part of it is finding ways to embody the “community center” part of our name, not just “community,” “healing,” or “community healing.” I am looking for more ways to bring the local community into Songbird. The new community rental option is part of this. It may evolve or end up not working at all, but it is part of helping me envision what I want Songbird to look like in 2020 and beyond. We may also offer events that are not directly related to healing, but are of community interest. This is a type of outreach that may bring in people who may not realize that we have something useful for them until they step through the door. The gift store has also been like this. Songbird is flexible and creative in how we operate.
I want to hear your desires for what you would like us to offer and what you would like to offer. Please feel free to email with your ideas. There will also be time for this at the 10-year anniversary celebration. Come join us in celebrating on 1/11/2020 celebration from 1-4.