by Charles McAlpine | Apr 12, 2015 | Blog
It’s hard to believe we are only a couple of weeks away from celebrating our sixth anniversary! It is sneaking up on me! I am not sure where time has gone! Like any milestone, this one has me feeling reflective, with a dose of wonder! One of the amazing things about working at a place like Storm Wisdom, is that it stretches you. It helps you to look deeper within. It allows you to confront limitations, fears and out-dated beliefs. At the same time, access to inner guidance, intuitive knowing and updated preferences are enhanced. You can’t spend time here and not know yourself better. This is true for many of the people who frequent this place on a regular basis too. They are changed by the experience of having a place to lean in. Lean in when they are searching for clarity. Lean in when they have something new to share. Perhaps a new awareness, skill or technique to live more from the heart. A place where who they are and what they are creating can be imagined and explored. It is also a place to build community, friendships, support networks and allies. This are some of the attributes of Storm Wisdom that I am grateful for today. When I think about how and where we started, I think of how clueless I was about what I was getting myself into… AND, how I had idealized this idea of creating a Spiritual Oasis or Center for Intentional Living, even when I had no idea what I was doing! I think they call that ‘ego’! I would imagine that...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 14, 2014 | Blog
Have you ever noticed how clear the view is when you are on top of the world? I have been feeling blessed, joyful, happy, excited, content, ready and expansive for a while now! These actually are always there, it’s just that sometimes in the past I have intersperse them with worry, fear, doubt or some other constricting emotions. So even though all these great expansive emotions are almost always present; whenever they are laced with heavier ones, they don’t have the same resonance or feeling! This brings me to what has been going on for me lately. You see, when I am feeling this good, someone else using language or expressions that are constricting or isolating.., really stands out! So I find myself offering new words, phrases or perspective that bring this to their attention. First of all as a reminder to them that words matter. And also, because it is painful enough that it hurts. What I am talking about is someone’s negative self-talk. When they put themselves down. For some it appears to be a habit. Just something they have always done. So, they are so use to it, it feels comfortable to them. Until you play those words back to them. “I hate the way I look”, “I am terrible at that”, “I wish I were half as smart as they are”, “Nothing ever goes my way”. We start saying these things to ourselves and all of a sudden they become self fulfilling prophesies. We begin to feel them. We begin to believe them. I have one friend who is amazing. She teaches people all over...
