Archive for the ‘Life’ Category
Are You Living Your Life or Someone Else’s?
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
It’s your life. How do you want to live it?
Experience it?
Share it?
Explore it?
Write it?
Experiment it?
Play with it?
Create more in it?
What’s the story of your life you want to be living?
Go ahead. Live it.
{Photo taken by Mary Anne Flanagan, Egypt}
Holy Intimacy
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
All relationships with people, connections with nature, and experiences are filled with holy intimacy.
How have you experienced holy intimacy in your life?
Mary Anne
And How Are the Children?
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
If we don’t put children first, who will?
When politics, sports, or money come before the safety of children, we fail as adults. If we don’t tell the truth, report a crime, or protect our children, how can we expect another generation to know or do better?
There is a greeting in Africa when people meet, “And how are the children?” This is done whether you have children or not as every village knows every child.
And how are the children?
Mary Anne
Listening to My Body – From a Whisper to a Shout!
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
After returning home this weekend from a coaching conference where I sat a lot, I decided to go for a walk to a local store and had a back spasm so bad I thought my leg was going to give out. I stretched my back and put a gel on to take away the pain. The spasm returned later that night and into Monday. My lower back pain went from an aching whisper to a big shout.
I spent the next day putting on a heating pad, more gels, did more stretching, and took some Advil. I decided to ask for some healing energy and positive thoughts from friends on Facebook. Many of my friends sent me kind messages, energy, and love. One friend wrote, “Sending healing energy and suggesting you listen to the messages your lower back has for you.”
Throughout the rest of the night that my back was aching, I used meditation to adjust to and release the discomfort by creating visual images that could penetrate muscles, heart and mind. I listened to my back and what it has been trying to tell me for months and I have been ignoring.
How long have I carried (back) pain, not just in my body, but in my mind? What’s cracking, restructuring, and rebuilding inside and out? When was the last time I allowed myself the rest I so deserve?
Certainly, something that causes any kind of pain – mental, emotional, or physical – must be questioned if I am truly to move beyond it. What is lodged so deep in my spine? What or who am I storing and agreeing to painfully hold onto?
It is time to push past the pain, the drama, the unspoken, and LISTEN. It is time to really listen to my back. It is time to move forward peacefully. I have ignored the whispers of back pain and now my back clearly has a message for me. I am still listening.
I love that my back pain has a treasure for me – a message of love. I am open to receiving it. Amen.
Mary Anne
Life Is Like … Chutes and Ladders
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011
I was reading an article, Burning the Evidence, by Dominique Browning in Sunday’s New York Times and was inspired by her metaphor of comparing life to a game of Chutes and Ladders. In the article Browning writes:
Life really is like a game of Chutes and Ladders, I thought, taking the long view while nosing around, and burning up my life. You work hard to climb, and you get lucky, too; you’re ambling along when suddenly, wham, you roll wrong, you make a stupid move, and you’re perilously upside down the slide. You’ve got to pick yourself up and start the climb over again. It gets wearying after a while.
That’s the starkest pattern in all of our lives. It takes so long to get the hang of it, the slipping, sliding, and starting over, that by the time we’re old enough to know that the climb is everything, the whole story, the destination doesn’t matter, we’re tired enough to let wisdom in, to move efficiently, thoughtfully, to finally stop and enjoy the view along the way.
There it is – for Dominique Browning life is like a game of Chutes and Ladders. I started thinking about what ‘game’ my life is like. The first one that came to mind was the game Twister. Right hand red. Left foot yellow. Left hand green. Right foot blue. My life is like Twister because it twists and turns and various parts of my life and friends intertwine. Like the game, we cross paths on our way to reaching our various destinations. I live my life like the colorful mat the game is played with so many vibrant interests (writing, coaching, reading, traveling, drumming etc…). At times, I trip over myself, over all the things I have said yes to, and all of my work engagements. But mostly, I am like the game of Twister because it is so full of play, of colors, of falling down and getting up again. In the game Twister, there is no limit on the number of people who can play – so full of possibilities. And, anytime I play, there is always a good amount of laughter.
Thinking back to all the games you played in childhood (or perhaps play now with your children), what game most represents your life? I’d love to hear from you so feel free to leave a comment!
Let’s play!
Mary Anne
Think Different – Thank You Steve Jobs. What Will You Remember?
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
How ironic that I read about the passing of Steve Jobs on the very device he so brilliantly helped create – an iPhone. I stood there as tweets came pouring in about how we lost a genius. After hearing the news, I went to my “Steve Jobs” email folder and read through various inspirational quotes, stories, and videos I have saved through the years. I kept this folder to go to on days I feel less than brilliant and need some reassurance. It was easy to find inspiration from Steve Jobs. The first email quote I opened read:
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Namaste Steve Jobs. I will remember how you used your genius to keep us connected. I will remember that you honored your ability to think different. I will remember you for teaching me to think different and bigger. I am grateful to you for giving me the tools to connect and grow – how I used my iTunes and iPod to carry many years of music, how I used my iPhone to meet and connect with my family in Louisiana, how I used my iPad to grow my business, and how I bought an iMac that allowed me to make a “It Gets Better” video. I have downloaded apps that have allowed me to use my creative genius. I knew this day was going to come. I just had no idea how sad I was going to feel. And while I may be an “Apple groupie”, what I have really admired is his ability to share his genius and his determination to keep going when many times along the way he could have quit.
How has Steve Jobs influenced your life? How will you remember Steve Jobs?
I hope we continue to “stay hungry” and “stay foolish.”
Mary Anne
Tell Me – Who Are You?
Thursday, September 29th, 2011
Perhaps there are no words or endless words to describe who I am.
I am the hope of Spring.
I am faith that moves mountains.
I am the bagpipes that makes your feet tap. 
I am the laughter of a six year old.
I am the sunrise in the East.
I am a prayer and a song.
I am as loud as pelting rain.
I am as quiet as morning dew.
I am the New York Times crossword puzzle.
I am the Winter blizzard that arrives with intensity.
I am the bee that always finds the nectar.
I am the child of surprise and spirit.
I am the adult of wonder, of love, of generosity, and of faith.
I am truth, freedom, and limitless possibilities.
I am more than this.
I am.
I.
Am.
Mary Anne
I Give Myself Permission To …
Monday, September 26th, 2011
In an effort to release guilt, I decided to work on giving myself permission to do or not do things that would create more peace in my life. In the day-to-day, I have found I get too caught up in my ‘doing’ rather than ‘being.’ So, I started a list of what I will give myself permission to experience in order to feel more peace and more joy.
I give myself permission to…
Take a weekend off to play;
Read the entire Sunday New York Times;
Take a long afternoon nap;
Read three books at the same time;
Write from my heart all day;
Impulsively book a weekend get-a-way;
Book a massage;
Release toxic friendships;
Connect more with nature;
Be open to not knowing;
Make room for what is next;
Love myself more.
What are you willing to give yourself permission to experience?
Mary Anne
September Day
Monday, September 12th, 2011
What happens when you have nothing to say? 
What happens when you remember this day?
What happens when the memories go away?
What happens when the silence remains?
What happens when we return to play?
What happens when emotions are no longer at bay?
What happens when love is here to stay?
Mary Anne
Name and Nameless
Thursday, September 8th, 2011
Given a Holy Name
of hope
of possibility
of forgiveness
of redemption
of a past
of a present
of a future
My name is repeated
a duality of
people and places
An elder
passed down
to a younger
a constant reminder
of life
given, passed
shared and loved
What is my name?
Mary Anne