'Cultivating delight': an invitation
Read the p.s. below to find out how my story work is growing and how you can be part of it!
Dear Friends,
Not long ago I was in Madrid with a friend, and was reminded of how much I love to travel!
Not work travel, or travel with a packed itinerary. But rather, the delight of getting on a train, or stepping out the door into an unfamiliar city, with a suitcase or a backpack, good walking shoes and an open curiosity about what the day will bring.
Perhaps you, like me, find synchronicity and delight in this kind of exploration? I find it brings me back to my essential nature; my playful, adventurous, imaginative and curious self — the parts of me that I like best and value most.
Open to the magic and spontaneity of the moment, I find the small and fleeting encounters bring the greatest fulfillment and most lasting delights. Though one has always to be awake and ready to catch these moments.
Walking down a narrow side street in elegant Madrid one morning, my friend and I walked through the doorway of a tiny corner cafe.
Stepping over the threshold, I was only thinking of my morning coffee. However in folktales and fables, doorways are symbolic! They can be portals to other worlds; portents of change; opportunities to develop and grow. Doorways often beckon with an invitation, a call to discover or recognise some hitherto overlooked side of yourself. You step across the threshold, and find yourself in transformation.
Inside the cafe, my friend and I were both struck by an atmosphere as welcoming and unpretentious as it was visually exquisite. There was a subtle kind of magic at work here, which would have been so easy to miss.
The magic was in the owner’s friendly and radiant presence, as she served us coffee and pastries in vintage china cups. The magic was in all the fine, characterful, hand-selected details: the artfully labeled local wines, olive oils and cooking salts arranged on the shelves; and the tongue-in-cheek portrait of Roger Moore perched on a small antique table. It was in the care and beauty of a bouquet of yellow tulips sitting on the counter — which turned out to be a gift for a neighbour who happened to pop in for a chat as my friend and I sipped our cortados.
When the neighbour left, the owner told us that she had been in business for about a year, and that this shop was her dream come true. Of course, that was already obvious. Her face and gestures radiated the joy and vibrancy of somebody living in alignment to their purpose, doing exactly what they wanted to be doing.
And her joy was infectious. Seeing this woman so full of radiance and life, taking such wholehearted delight in this beautiful space she had created, and in welcoming people into it — well, it was naturally an invitation to consider: what could I be doing to cultivate such delight in my own life?
Ever since that encounter, the everyday magic of this cafe and its owner has lingered like a talisman for me, or a beacon.
It has reminded me of the opening words of Diane Ackerman’s wonderful book Cultivating Delight, a lively meditation on gardening:
‘I plan my garden as I wish I could plan my life, with islands of surprise, color and scent…’
It strikes me that metaphorically speaking, we are all of us cultivating our own gardens through the manifold ways in which we unfold our lives and express ourselves in the world. What do we do with this great jumble of seeds and plants, rocks and soils, water and mycelium, that is ours to tend during our time here on Earth? How do we work skillfully to manifest all these ever-changing, ever-unfolding intricacies of our inner and outer landscapes?
Though of course it is not with seeds, rakes or pruning shears that we cultivate our metaphorical gardens. It is with stories. Who are you? Why are you here on this Earth? What must you do with the time that you have?
Think about it for a moment: as much as we are inter-beings, living in relation to others, we are also our distinct and unique selves. What gifts and talents are uniquely yours? What truly brings you alive? How do you use your voice? What do you treasure most? How have you changed, and how are you the same? How do you continue to change? Have you discovered a love for blueberry pie? Or the Sistine Chapel? Or drinking tea with a friend? Or the sight of the Milky Way swirling across a dark desert sky? Or the gentle patter of rain on the window? Do you see parts of yourself in a desert flower? A mountain stream? A jungle fern? Are you part jaguar, part butterfly, with a splash of ocean wave or coral reef thrown in? What music makes your heart sing? Who are the people you really love? And how do all these things find expression (or not) in the unique alchemy of your life?
Just like gardeners, through a million small, imperceptible expressions of our inner and outer stories, we choose what to nourish and make space for in our lives, and what to neglect or throw on the compost heap.
Inspired by the cafe owner’s delight, I have been working to cultivate delight in my own storytelling practice. Looking back at the last few years, I recognise the dream I have been nurturing — through writing this newsletter, hosting storytelling gatherings, learning stories, telling stories intentionally in conversations and countless other small, cumulative, persistent acts of dedication (and delight).
What about you? What stories are growing in your garden? How do these stories find expression in your life? Are you dormant, gathering your energies for long-awaited new beginnings? Or perhaps you’re in a vigorous and full-blooming summer growth phase? Are there new seeds needing tender care and space to grow? Is it time for some trimming and pruning? Are you celebrating your harvest? Or clearing space for what wants to emerge? What is your own particular way of cultivating a rich and juicy life — with those beautiful islands of surprise, colour and scent?
How can you cultivate more delight in the stories and offerings of your life?
Let me know; I always love to hear from you!
With love,
Megan
P.S. I invite you to work with me! I’m now working one-on-one with people, helping them tap the vast and varied powers of story. Could this be you?
I’ve developed a short, playful, creative and powerful process to help you work intentionally with myths, legends and your own life stories. This is a uniquely personalised deep dive into the generative and juicy world of story-making and storytelling. You set the goal or intention, and we work together to ignite the story magic!
You can try it out risk-free! Your first session is free with no obligation to continue. AND if you choose to continue, I’m offering heavily discounted introductory rates through the end of September, so there will never be a better time to do it! Click here to find out more, or email me directly! You can also see more about my work and approach here.
email: megan.lindow@gmail.com
P.P.S. September is the month of PLAY. From now on, each month will have a theme. I’ll be offering creative workshops and activations that give you a taste of my work with stories and a chance to dive deeper into particular facets of story work. Did you know that adults need to PLAY just as much as children do? And did you know that storytelling is a fantastic way to bring out your PLAYFUL side? It’s (almost) time to let the story tricksters out the bag so they can liven us up with a bit of surprise, spontaneity, imagination and fun! So get ready for some serious PLAY next month!! And then… get ready to dive deep into IDEATION in October, and THRIVING in November!! More details coming soon!!!
P.P.P.S. Share the story love!! And FINALLY, if you’ve made it this far, please tell people about Living Stories so they can enjoy it as much as you do!! This is the best way you can support my work, so don’t be shy — click the SHARE button below!! With so many great new offerings and projects in the works, your friends will thank you. And so will I!!