“Think of the words that are similar to “community”. Come, commute, commune (both action and subject), communion, commentary, communal, committee, communication, commit…all are non-isolating by definition for they necessitate an engagement of more than one- even if that engagement is solely based on an extension of self as in “commit”.  Quoting John Donne, “No man is an island”, has never been as significant at now. You are being called to...

“Making, wanting, forcing something to happen in your favour – even hoping it will occur, takes a lot of energy. There’s the physical kind that has you literally running around arranging, manipulating, administering, controlling people and situations to have your way. Then there’s the emotional kind that stresses you out, has you worried, distracts you to no end to get to your desired goal. Just writing these heavy-duty and dense sentences is...

“Listen to the rain. Is it soft and gentle, whispering sweet nothings in your ear? Can you make out the wonderful words it is trying to say? “Don’t worry. Everything will be all right. We’ve got this.”  Perhaps it is a thunderous downpour of a zillion drops warning you, beseeching you: “Take care. Be careful with your heart. You know which decision to make.” Yet again, it may be an off- and- on tease of a rain shower playing coy with you…...

“Have you noticed your tastes are changing? What you used to absolutely love no longer draws you. Whether it’s steak frites, the funky bar or colour green (as was referenced a few Gentle Messages ago), the pull is gone. Even the emotion tied to said appealing item has disappeared like a mist upon the water. Is there a time warp where all these emotions are draining into, leaving you in a vacuum: full of new-found space for exploration and...

“Are you good at asking questions? Perhaps you’re too shy to stand up in front of a crowded room to ask the speaker about a comment that’s been made. Maybe you’re in a rush and want to leave the auditorium before the presentation is over. A persistent worry running through your mind keeps you from following the lecture. The constant squirming of the person in front of you annoys you to the point of cancelling any thought of asking anything. “My...