The Welcome Gifts of...Wisdom

The void, the magic,

the journey, the sanctuary,

and the search for me.

Simone

Every week, I seek wisdom from a different writer and share bits of wisdom from their books to a small group of friends. This week finished reading Simone Weil’s Love in the Void: Where God Finds Us. I’ve enjoyed reading about her spiritual pilgrimage and her invitation to seek encounters with God on a deeper level by loving our neighbors, loving beauty, and even loving through suffering. It was a welcome gift of spiritual wisdom.

Elizabeth

As I read one book with intensity, I snack on a couple of other books along the way. I am currently snacking on Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. This book is packed with so much wisdom, I feel that I can only handle it in small bites. I tend to read just a few pages a day, then I take some notes and put it back in the pantry to enjoy again later. It is a welcome gift of creative wisdom.

Steven

One of my all time favorite wisdom whisperers is Steven Pressfield. The Artist’s Journey: the Wake of the Hero’s Journey and the Lifelong Pursuit of Meaning is the fifth book of his I’ve added to my SP collection. It is also another book that I’m savoring with just a few pages a day, because I don’t want it to end. I love his encouragement and practical wisdom, and I believe his books win the “most notes written in the margins”contest. His work is a welcome gift of inspirational wisdom.

Dan

This week's book of wisdom is Dan Tricarico’s Sanctuaries: Self-Care Secrets for Stressed-Out Teachers. Although I don't consider myself “stressed-out,” I do easily become over-busy and overwhelmed. Finding sanctuaries in my life help me find rest and refuge in the present moment. I read and enjoyed Dan’s previous book, The Zen Teacher: Creating focus, simplicity, and tranquility in the classroom. This book had been a terrific follow-up and has been a welcome gift of peaceful wisdom.

and Frank

And then there’s Frank. So this is not a book, but I’ve enjoyed watching Frank James on YouTube. Frank uses fun videos to show personality typologies. He has several videos on Myers-Briggs, but I’m more interested in his videos about Enneagram types. If you’ve not heard of the enneagram, there are a ton of books and resources about it and I’ve enjoyed learning more about myself. And along the way, Frank has been a welcome gift of humorous wisdom.

So I Present to You, the Welcome Gifts

The void and the gift of spiritual wisdom.

The magic and the gift of creative wisdom.

The journey and the gift of inspirational wisdom.

The sanctuary and the gift of peaceful wisdom.

The search for me and the gift of humorous wisdom.

I hope you enjoy the gift.