Tag Archives: conversational journey

How do I listen?

Posted on November 24, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I commented on a re-blog, Here’s an Idea that Mimi‘s post coincided a PBS show about a branch of neuroscience called Contemplative Mindfulness. Rudolph Tanzi is central in this work which has grown from other recent research by Richard Davidson, Ellen Langer, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mindful practices have been with us for centuries and are found in Christ’s, the Buddha’s and Mohammed’s teachings. Mindful listening begins with me, moves outward, and is eloquently described by Hafiz, a Sufi poet. Mindful listening requires humility those teachers emulated in their lived practice as the servant as leader.

How

Do I

Listen to others?

As if everyone were my Master

Speaking to me

His

Cherished

Last

Words.

Stay human friends.

25 Comments

Posted in Community, Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Sabbath and tagged conversational journey, eloquent questions, Hafiz, mindful listening, Mindful Practice, poetry, servant-leadership, spirituality, sufi poet, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

The Uses of Not

Posted on November 20, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I wrote about paradox in Warrior’s Quest and part of the motivating force was this poem. It takes real courage to accept paradox and hold the tension. The hole in the whole completes the whole.

Thirty spokes

meet in the hub.

Where the wheel isn’t

is where it’s useful.

Hollowed out,

clay makes the pot.

Where the pot’s not

is where it’s useful.

Cut doors and windows

to make a room.

Where the room isn’t

there’s room for you.

So the profit in what is

is in the use of what isn’t.

Lao Tzu

9 Comments

Posted in Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged community, conversational journey, eloquent questions, Lao Tzu, leadership, philosophy, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Warrior’s Quest

Posted on November 17, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I sat today and was going to post a Lao Tzu poem, The Uses of Not. I typed a short preamble and realized it was a Sabbath poem. Sometimes it is in paradox I find the most sense. It is in questions that I deepen conversations. I am in service of the questions. Earlier this week, I said I spent much of my life chasing answers. This is an echo of Father Richard Rohr who says maturity leads us to stop chasing certainty. I seek eloquent questions with no ready answers: and invite others into conversations. I might have used pirate, but I began reading Shambhala:The Path of the Sacred Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa recently and it offered a new understanding, for me, of the word warrior.

Paradox–

Seemingly incompatible tempest

Space invites space

Forms a spacious meadow.

Deepen conversations–

Without ready answers;

But, eloquent questions

Be open, surprised.

A warrior’s quest–

Lighten the load

Be grateful and receive the gifts

Serve the journey.

Shape paths–

Ready each step

Because it is right

And not fully known.

14 Comments

Posted in Community, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Sabbath, Synchronicity and tagged chogyam-trungpa, community, conversational journey, creativity, eloquent questions, leadership, Mindful Practice, poetry, shambhala, spirituality, teacher as transformer, warrior. Bookmark the permalink.

From Chaos, Hope

Posted on November 17, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

It was a long day. I just started thumbing through some right brain scribbling and this popped out at me.

From chaos, hope–

Faith springs from community,

Companions bring wisdom,

Symphonic voices–

Harmony of diversity.

Bind together

Mine eloquent questions;

Provides raw materials;

And life polishes–

Rare beauty under pressure.

Hold each other gently

Be unsure together

Be companions.

Break bread

Be safe in this place.

14 Comments

Posted in Community, Leadership, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged community, conversational journey, eloquent questions, Mindful Practice, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

That Space, That Silence

Posted on November 14, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

It has been another long day. I am not always a politically correct person in the way some want. I struggle to say what the dominant group of the moment wants everyone to say. A reason we have polarization in the world is we want others to agree with us sometimes without giving reasons for it to happen. I might agree, but what about those who are not present?

That invisible space between us–

Between our truths

Sacred ground

Till it gently.

That silence you hear–

Almost imperceptible;

It is reverent

Hold it gently.

That space,

That silence,

Emerge magically

No recipe needed.

That space,

That silence,

Easily chased away–

Shhh…

15 Comments

Posted in Leadership, Learning Organizations, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged conversational journey, creativity, Educational Leadership, Mindful Practice, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

What to Remember When Wakening

Posted on November 13, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

It was a long day. I was up at 5:45 AM, on a flight at 11:30 AM, and just wrapping up my day in a different time zone than the one I began the day in. Again, I had a great day and will find time to speak about it as the days move on. I am doing an Art of Hosting workshop and the first day was pretty incredible. It speaks to the David Whyte poem about thing coming to life even when unplanned and only need nourishment and nurturing to come to life.

In that first hardly noticed moment in which you wake,
coming back to this life from the other
more secret, moveable and frighteningly honest world
where everything began,
there is a small opening into the new day
which closes the moment you begin your plans.

What you can plan is too small for you to live.
What you can live wholeheartedly will make plans enough
for the vitality hidden in your sleep.

To be human is to become visible
while carrying what is hidden as a gift to others.
To remember the other world in this world
is to live in your true inheritance.

You are not a troubled guest on this earth,
you are not an accident amidst other accidents
you were invited from another and greater night
than the one from which you have just emerged.

Now, looking through the slanting light of the morning window
toward the mountain presence of everything that can be
what urgency calls you to your one love?
What shape waits in the seed of you
to grow and spread its branches
against a future sky?

Is it waiting in the fertile sea?
In the trees beyond the house?
In the life you can imagine for yourself?
In the open and lovely white page on the writing desk?

27 Comments

Posted in Community, Leadership, Learning Organizations, Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments, World Cafe Events and tagged community, conversational journey, David Whyte, eloquent questions, leadership, Mindful Practice, poetry, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

The Way it Is

Posted on October 19, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

A common theme has followed me the last little while. It has wound its way through my posts, my thoughts, and it seems in the daily discourse I have with songs I hear or poetry I read. It is the idea that as much as I try to hold on to the way things are, they are still in a constant rhythm of change. It reminds of Heraclitus’ quote: You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you. I find it is more complicated than that, as the same person cannot step into the river. With each ensuing moment, I change and the world I live in and with changes.

Yesterday, as I was driving home, Tommy Castro, a San Francisco blues performer, came on the radio with a song called It Is What it Is. The lyrics of the refrain go like this:

Yeah, I am what I am,

‘Cause I ain’t what I used to be.

‘Cause it is what it is,

But it ain’t what it used to be.

Sometimes, as much as I want things to remain the same or return to an idealized past, they cannot. Part of the reason, a big part, is I am not who I was a moment ago. Today, I flipped open one of the many books of poetry books I enjoy and found this William Stafford poem which echoed the lyrics above.

There’s a thread you follow. It goes among

things that change. But it doesn’t change.

People wonder about what you are pursuing.

You have to explain about the thread.

But it is hard for others to see.

While you hold it you can’t get lost.

Tragedies happen; people get hurt

or die; and you suffer and get old.

Nothing you can do can stop time’s unfolding.

You don’t ever let go of the thread.

10 Comments

Posted in Mindful Life, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Synchronicity and tagged conversational journey, creativity, Heraclitus, Mindful Practice, poetry, teacher as transformer, Tommy Castro, William Stafford. Bookmark the permalink.

One Lovely Blog Award

Posted on September 25, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I write about reciprocity in community which I find is just as real, albeit different in the digital world, when I get a chance. I appreciate those who follow, comment, and share their lives in small ways each day. Please take a few minutes and visit the links below.

I am behind acknowledging nominations for One Lovely blog Awards I recently received. I apologize for the way I am doing this, but since returning to school and with other things on my plate time is at a premium.

I would ask those who follow my blog to take a few minutes and check out these wonderful sites. They are great examples of well-done and eclectic blogs. I begin by thanking those who nominated me: Cimplicity Rocks, Mishmash, Nizy’s Life Compendium, and Poetry Blog of Mine.

The rules for the award are straightforward and I believe help us create a virtual community.

1. Give credit to the awesome person who nominated you.

I take this time to thank these lovely bloggers, Cimplicity Rocks, Mishmash, Nizy’s Life Compendium, and Poetry Blog of Mine, for honouring me with the nominations. It is deeply appreciated and I am grateful for the wonderful examples of the ways social media are used for in today’s world and make it better; one post at a time.

2. Describe 7 things about yourself.

I was born and raised in Western Canada and am a life-long Albertan and British Columbian.
My family traces its Canadian genealogy for over 20 generations.
The first descendant we traced in my Dad’s family was a master barrel maker and member of the local militia in what is now Quebec City.
I coached ice hockey for almost 35 years.
Kathy and I met in a bar in Prince George BC.
I might be related to Steve Prefontaine who was an American distance runner at the 1972 Olympics. We still do not know what connections there might be.
I played goal in hockey which many people say explains my eccentric nature.

3. Nominate 15 other bloggers.

Katz Ideas (I nominated Kate before, but she only had a few followers. Take a moment and visit her site. It is a wonderful place of poetry and words.)

What I see, what I feel, what I’d like to see… (I know long title, but worth a visit with Todd)

Simple. Interesting (Cristi shares great images and his love of Bon Jovi music)

Deep and Wonderful Thoughts (Lisa shares a wonderful, deeply spiritual view of the world)

New Providence Daily Photo (Josy shares images around her local community in New Jersey

PositiveBoomer (Renée shares quotes, poems, and health advice)

Pieces (Neeraj is a wonderful poet with an occasional and quirky sense of humour

GC Himani (GC contributes to the world by paying forward to our children with inspirational quotes)

The World Through Rum Eyes (The author seeks beauty and shares it through his pictures)

Grandmother Musings (This grandmother shares her little slices of wisdom gleaned in her life)

Tiny Lessons Blog (A multi-faceted person who shares their multi-faceted experiences)

C’est La Vie Annie (Annie shares a life with worth living through words and images)

The Future is Papier Mache (Richard is a photographer and artist who shares life he comes across)

Ooggetuige (Willem shares his photos which is his creative gift)

Watchoot (A site with wonderful pictures and some descriptive text)

Merlin Spielen (Stephen is a playful wizard hence the name of his blog)

Violet Gallery (A gifted artist who shares the gift with us)

The World According to Dina (Dina is a wonderful photographer who shares the northern hemisphere with me)

Rendezvous with Renée (Renée writes in a variety of forms and would love to hear from more of you)

4. Include the blog award image in your post.

There are two of them, so take a pick.

26 Comments

Posted in Awards, Blogging, Community and tagged awards, blogging, community, conversational journey, creativity. Bookmark the permalink.

Conversation Circles

Posted on September 7, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

In our classroom, we use a conversation circle. I use it as a time to clarify things from my perspective and allow students to speak about what they would like to do. At other times, we talk about upcoming events. Today in the conversation circle, each student introduced themselves to the group, which seems like a small thing, but sometimes goes unattended in classrooms. I also asked the students about what they want for complementary courses. This is an outgrowth of the conversation circles we held last year. Students want a voice in their learning.

We use a ‘talking stick.’ The person with the ‘talking stick’ is the speaker and others listen. In an era of digital technologies, the stick reinforces a protocol of face-to-face conversation which we increasingly need in our world. The ‘talking stick’ was a gift from a parent last year. She is a member of a First Nation so it has some traditional meaning attached to its design.

The wood is driftwood which came from a local lake and reflects nature’s contributions to the circle. Someone carved a bear head into the top of the stick. In some traditions, the bear symbolizes courage, freedom, and power. The feather is from a hawk. Hawks are visionary and guide the person. The coloured ribbons represent the four directions in the circle. The parent attached a medicine bag. The medicine bag heals, guides and protects, and has materials or objects of value to its carrier.

25 Comments

Posted in Community, Education, Photography, Reflective Moments, Uncategorized and tagged community, conversation circle, conversational journey, education, learning, medicine bag, photography, school, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

The Booker Award

Posted on September 5, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I compare the world of blogging to living in a small community. We meet each and acknowledge each other. We get to know some people better than others, but recognize something unique in each other.

Mimi from Waiting for the Karma Truck recently honoured me with The Booker Award and I am grateful she recognized me.

I look forward to Mimi’s each day. She shares various gifts and lessons from life, work, and, family. She provides wisdom drawn from those sources through her blog, public presentations, and writing.

The fun and challenging aspect of this particular award is to list my five favorite books. Similar to Mimi I can’t do that, but I offer five books which I found compelling at some point. I enjoy reading and this list is sorely incomplete. I read very few fictional books, but that is a product of the doctoral journey I undertook.

The Alchemist – Paolo Coehlo (actually any book by this Brazilian author is a worthy read).

To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee (I cheated and left this on from Mimi’s list, but it was and remains an outstanding social justice reminder).

The Executioners – John D. MacDonald (I read almost anything by this author. This book became Cape Fear, but he is famous for a pulp fiction character Travis McGee).

The Courage to Teach – Parker J. Palmer (I first read Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak before returning to university for my education degree and read this author extensively.

Why I Wake Early – Mary Oliver (I could have included a number of this poet’s books or books by Wendell Berry, Billy Collins, Robert Frost, etc. I love poetry).

I nominate others who I hope can add into our libraries and expand our literary worlds. I tried to expand and move beyond those who received earlier awards from me. I think their blogs are diverse and we will receive a range of new ideas for our ‘cosmic library.’

I tap into the libraries of:

Elizabeth’s Ramblings

Practical Practice Management

Sylver Blaque

Elke Teaches