Nigerian poet and author Ben Okri says that stories are mighty and “…work with all the internal materials of the mind and self.” He states that “beneath the waters of consciousness” stories are altering our world.

In a recent Love Is A Mountain winter retreat, some wonderful women gathered to ponder, express, share and acknowledge the central roles our stories have held in our lives.
Each of us have stories that range from celebratory to deeply sad and painful – recognizing that although we cannot change what was, we can nevertheless claim the control we do have over our own thoughts to move us toward new, intentional chapters.

Seeing it in your mind first moves you more than half way there. Imagine waking up ‘actively’ realizing that each day is a new day both literally and metaphorically – that dreaming and envisioning are powerful tools you can use to help create change.

Dream and tell good stories,

Mozella Perry Ademiluyi
  poet   writer   speaker

I believe in magic and the expansive possibilities that flow directly from our Imaginations.

I also believe in fairies, elves and earth’s elemental beings … I really do.

And, it’s okay if you think I’m ‘crazy’ because, I probably am … and quite content being so!

We have entered the mystical, momentous year 2012 – who will you be during and by the end of it? What questions are you forming and holding … waiting for answers that are right and true for you?

Go on, be brave, – and dream – spin your words believing they are the magic that create gold.

Dreaming…

Mozella Perry Ademiluyi
  poet   writer   speaker

These last two weeks of 2011 have offered a wonderful Kenyan safari and adventure. As we hiked through the gorge, it was easy to forget that in someone’s mind, we were walking through ‘hell’. A beautiful blue sky met by magnificent architectural looking sheets of rock, mysterious looking passage ways and hot springs splashing from the depths of the earth’s belly were evidence of both beautiful and dramatic transformation.

Fast-forward a couple of hours later: we were literally being pulled by rope through the muddiest dirt roads, reminiscent of days gone by. Quick background – I attended a high school, Rift Valley Academy (RVA, Kijabe, Kenya) in the late sixties/early seventies, that was situated in the high hills overlooking the Great Rift Valley. Mt. Longonot provided a spectacular view everyday – so, in one sense, I was going home. Since we were so close, the goal was to get there before dark so that my son and niece could witness the hillsides upon which my sisters and I grew up as boarding students during our teenage years.

Picture this – our front wheel drive vehicle tied to a Landrover by too long a rope for my liking, slipping and sliding from one side of the road to another – it was supposed to be a ‘short-cut’ – are there really any short-cuts?

RVA was and is now a Christian missionary school surrounded by and overlooking nature’s wonders – you could call it heaven-like. However, the ride there felt like an accident waiting to happen – each hill and sharp turn threatened backsliding and failure – this piece of heaven was no easy path.

We made it through the now gated and transformed campus … and stopped at the home of my former classmate who had pulled us through one hell of a ride. As we munched on a light dinner, my heart sank as I watched darkness envelop the great outdoors. There was going to be no view of the RVA of long ago – the window was closed and the Promised Land had descended into darkness.

We eventually shared the shadows of our memories illumined only by artificial outdoor lighting.

The past was not present.

I invite you to take this thought into 2012 – names, descriptions and expectations can sometimes cause what we see to appear inside out or upside down. Look closely as we move into this new era of awakening and consider that as life unfolds we will indeed be the right way up.

Mozella Perry Ademiluyi
  poet   writer   speaker

Acknowledging the sacred beauty in nature is not often disputed. Acknowledging these same qualities in each other is less common and too often disputed.

During my participation in Sydney Frymire’s The Trek of Your Life™ to Nepal, I experienced and was deeply inspired by the richness of their culture. Their reverent greeting- Namaste- is a salute to the divinity in those they meet, whether friend or strangers. The people of Nepal are intricately aware and conscious of their connection to each other, their land and the sacred powers that hold the balance together.

Oh that we would at least silently recognize the threads that link
us to one another … even better if we take the opportunities to audibly honor those who walk across our paths.

Namaste,

Mozella Perry Ademiluyi
  poet   writer   speaker

You may love this season of giving … and dread it too! Each year you promise yourself to start earlier, or better yet, to make smarter choices.

If you haven’t already committed yourself to an impossible ‘gift- giving spree’, then consider this: Just sit for a minute and ask yourself – is there some way I can show my appreciation for family and friends with a gift that is inexpensive, yet functional and/or fun?

A beautiful card with a handwritten message to accompany your unique gift would mean more than the “I couldn’t figure out what to buy kind of gift” that gets buried beneath the pile.

Perhaps pass up the known names and fancy store bags and boxes – make this the year you give differently. Imagine your gift of service in their name or small contribution to their favorite charity. Lessons abound for both the giver and the recipient — something to think about — there is so much real need in our world that can be filled with so little of our resources.

Keep it simple, affordable and most of all, keep it real …

P.S. Don’t try this suggestion with the kids!

Mozella Perry Ademiluyi
  poet   writer   speaker

At least it was a few moments ago … is it really already time to say good-bye to the magnificence of the golden, red and orange?

As the autumn foliage continues to fade away, it provides a natural reminder for us to ‘let go’ in preparation for the quiet, almost ‘lifeless’ looking stillness that winter brings. But that’s jumping ahead, perhaps a little too quickly — mainly, this is a great time to gratefully think back on all the ‘harvest treasures’ we can hold as our own.

It has been a full year since I last wrote on this blog … and I have learned a lot more along the way about timing and the natural order of things. Our plans and goals often take much longer than we expect. Absent things that are completely out of our control – taking the next step is always a choice … and then, there’s one more step, and then the next…

Choose a crisp weekend morning, take a few precious, but worthy moments, and write an ode to autumn!

It’s great to be back!

Mozella Perry Ademiluyi
  poet   writer   speaker

Have you lost a dear friend, a parent or a child and find yourself counting the time that has gone by since they left this earth plane? Mother went away two years ago – she comes back often. There is no contradiction in having gratitude and mourning a loss at the same time.

On the one hand, we celebrate this harvest season, on the other we watch the leaves drop – signaling the coming season that represents a passing away. Therefore, it is good that we too pause and pull back into the warmth of a personal hibernation.

Thank you for sharing this time and space with me over the past 52 weeks — until next year…

Celebrate!

Mozella Perry Ademiluyi
  poet   writer   speaker