This week I was reading the text of a Commencement Address by Carrie Newcomer titled “Be True, Be Kind, Pay Attention,” which she shared in her book The Beautiful Not Yet: Poems, Essays and Lyrics, (published in 2016 by Available Light Publishing and available at www.carienewcommer.com).Her address touched me deeply and connected with wisdom I have received through the wonderful practice of Interplay (www.interplay.org) developed by Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil Porter. Her words resonated with several of what Interplay calls Body Wisdom Tools. They especially connected with my understanding of the tool named affirmation, that invites us “to look for the good in any situation”; and the tool called body data, body knowledge and body wisdom, that calls us to “notice, notice, notice what is happening in us body, mind, heart and spirit in any given moment”; and the tool of internal authority, which invites us to “trust what we are noticing”. Her words also resonated with an insight from my Appreciative Inquiry teacher Rev. Dr. Rob Voyle who teaches that when we pay attention to what we deeply love to do, it is a key to discovering our own life’s purpose. The more I ponded Carrie’s words and the wisdom from these other sources, the more I wanted to share my reflections on them.
I think now more than ever we need to be true, be kind and pay attention! And so it is that the following poem emerged.(those lines that are noted in quotations are direct quotes either from Carrie’s speech or from one of her songs) After you read it let me know what it sparks in you.
Be true
Be true to your heart
Be true to your deepest knowing
Be true to what you love to do
Be true to what brings joy and gratitude and hope
Be true to what makes you shine
Be true to what makes you smile
from the very depth of your soul
Be true to what makes your heart sing
Be true to the gift of who you are
Be true to the gift of all that love is bringing to life in you
Be true to your dreams, even if they change shape
a time or two along the way.
Be true and let beauty lead you home
Be true and trust your heart
Be true and trust your own deep wisdom
Be true and trust your soul to be your guide
Be true and listen for the whispers of grace
and the brush of angels wings
Be true to your heart and discover
ALL that you are born to be and do
Be True!
Be Kind
For kindness is love in action
Be kind to yourself “as kind as you would be to a close friend”
Be kind to your family
Be kind to your co-workers
Be kind to the clerk in the store
-even if he isn’t efficient,
-even if she isn’t friendly
-even the ones who are not kind to you!
Send kind thoughts to the driver who cuts you off in traffic
Send kind thoughts the person who annoys you
-because he always has to have center stage
-because she never pays attention
-because he is always putting someone down
-because she won’t listen to your point of view
-because he values things you don’t understand
-because she sees the world through different eyes
Be kind in your thoughts
Be kind in your words
Be kind in your actions
Be kind even as you are standing up for what you believe
Be kind because kindness matters
And “When forgiveness is hard to find,
help me at least to be kind!”
Be Kind!
Pay attention
Notice what brings ease and joy and grace to you
Notice what evokes a deep smile from a stranger or a friend
Notice and trust what you notice
See the resilience of the human spirit
Recognize the breath of Life and Love
-in the wind
-in the sun
-in the rain
-in the flowers
-in the touch of a lover
-in the laughter of a child
-in the comfort of a friend
-in the kindness of a stranger
Pay attention to what quickens your pulse
Pay attention to what triggers your fear
Pay attention to what takes your breath away
and fills your heart with joy
Pay attention to what seems like a mistake
and ask what lesson it can bring
Pay attention to the questions that rise from your soul
Pay attention to your life,
so you can live it
Pay attention to your life,
so you can be the best version of who you are
Pay attention to what you love and do it
Pay attention to your heart so it can guide you
Stop
Look
Listen
See
Hear
Be
Pay attention!
Be true, Be Kind, Pay attention
And live, truly live!