“There are a hundred ways
to kneel and kiss the ground.”
Rumi
This quote, from the Middle Eastern poet Rumi, hangs above my desk as inspiration. Written to suggest that holiness is not prescribed but can instead be expressed in any number of ways, it is also a mantra for how to live creatively. (more…)
When you are the anvil, bear;
when you are the hammer, strike.”
Edwin Markham
“The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.”
Japanese proverb
“While the hammer drives the nail,
it is the nail that finds its way into the wood.”
As we work together to solve dilemmas in our families, our places of work and even our world, things go best when we each have a role to play. What an interesting metaphor develops if we think of ourselves as items in a woodshed. Hammer, anvil, nail –each type of tool and person serves a purpose. Though our social roles change in different circumstances with a little more flexibility than an iron tool, because of our natural abilities, we frequently tend to choose (or be given) one kind of responsibility or another! (more…)
“Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements — the same ones everyone else sees — but then you reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility.”
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
In this time of financial crisis and the need for innovative solutions, creativity is perhaps the most crucial strategy for our leaders and our communities. Personal problems are no different; sometimes the best approach is to set aside our old conceptions and create new possibilities. (more…)
