Ki Moments Blog

Support for life’s “key” moments.

Showing posts in the category “Centered Presence”

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  • February 3, 2025

    Fresh Eyes

    Fresh Eyes

    It's been a busy, stressful beginning to 2025 for me, and I was late with my January post, which published just under the wire.

    Some of the stress has been really good--we moved to a new home in December that we love and are happy in. And there was a lot to do. Packing and unpacking. Saying goodbye to a home we lived in for 41 years, and a neighborhood we loved. Getting to know and find comfort in our new home, new town and new neighbors. There was, and continues to be, a lot to do.

    Plus, some illnesses in my family are pretty much always on my mind these days. And even though I said I was winding down Power & Presence Training, I said yes in recent months to some workshops that have placed me on planes, buses and rental cars in various regions of the U.S. So some travel, and the accompanying stress that comes with it.

    And, yes, we live in a world where--it seems to me anyway--a world where many folks would rather fight than listen, try to understand, or move toward solving problems. Just being in our world right now can be stressful.

    Seeing With Fresh Eyes

    Then I had breakfast with my friend Pam, who always invites me into a world of wonder, and we talked about my move, and she said, "You must be seeing everything with 'fresh eyes'!" ....

  • January 24, 2025

    The Next Right Decision

    The Next Right Decision

    Each January, I ask myself what I'm hoping for in the year ahead, what personal conflicts I want to resolve, relationships I want to nurture. And I imagine how the year might unfold.

    If you're like me, some energy is probably flowing more freely in this new year, while certain relationships and life situations could benefit from more clarity, more honesty, and more freedom....

  • November 26, 2024

    Eternity's Sunrise

    Eternity's Sunrise

    I'm sitting at home with a sore throat/coughing/sneezing, old fashioned cold and thinking it would be a good time to wite something. I don't have a lot of energy today and so will just relate here one of my all time favorite quotations. I recite it to myself as often as I can

  • November 1, 2024

    Be the Mountain

    Be the Mountain

    Listening to my Calm app this morning reminded me of a story I wrote a long time ago, called "Being the Mountain". The mountain image resonates with me because of its  just there-ness. No matter what befalls the mountain, it is there. It stands tall yet rooted, weathering all storms....

  • October 1, 2024

    Discovery on an Icy Bridge

    Discovery on an Icy Bridge

    Adapted from Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict, by Judy Ringer

    Driving home late one night during the first snow of the season, I hit a patch of ice on a slippery bridge and struck the barrier that separates the bridge from the air and the water. I careened off one side of the bridge, slid across three lanes of Interstate 95, and scraped along the barrier on the opposite side. 

    Luckily there weren’t any other cars nearby.

    As I slid on the frozen surface, my first awareness was fear. Then, as the car connected with the barrier, I was jolted into a powerfully present state of being. What flashed through my mind was: I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m going to be here for it. 

    Then, deep calm, peace, and presence....

  • September 1, 2024

    God Winks

    God Winks

    Walking early on a Sunday morning, I hear music playing loudly down the street. I realize it's coming from a parked car up ahead across from the Public Library. It's about 7:30 am. 

    My initial reaction -- Pretty loud for so early on a Sunday in a residential neighborhood. Then I see a young man near the car either placing gear in the back seat or removing it. He's standing near the curb I'm about to walk by....

  • August 1, 2024

    Notes From a Silent Retreat

    Notes From a Silent Retreat

    I'm on a spiritual journey. The church happens to be the boat I'm traveling on.

    ~William Kent Krueger

    I'm recently returned from a silent retreat at the Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY, the retreat title: "In Silence with Thomas Merton", with Brother Ephrem Arcement, OHC. It was wonderful, On many levels....

  • March 1, 2024

    Stopping the Thoughts

    Stopping the Thoughts

    Like waves crashing against the shore, worry, regret, and fear-based narratives wash through my brain. Over and over again. In the middle of the night, day, whenever, whenever. They find me.

    Spinning thoughts -- "if onlys", missed "do overs", and anxiety

  • December 1, 2023

    The Indicator Light: Reinforcing Presence

    The Indicator Light: Reinforcing Presence

    Last December I wrote a post titled "Death as an Ally" about the preciousness of each fleeting moment. In the past year, I've come to appreciate this sentiment even more.

    As you move into the month of December with its accompanying demands on your time--the cards, parties, family visits, joys and conflicts--maybe take a moment each day (oftener if you're willing) to stop and notice this moment, this...ki... moment, a moment that will not come again. Find ways to reinforce presence....

  • November 1, 2023

    Looking Back, Moving Forward, Feeling Grateful

    Looking Back, Moving Forward, Feeling Grateful

    My last two posts in September and October gave some context on the next steps I'm taking into the unknown. It's weird. I don't know how not to be busy, how not to be engaged in an endeavor that gives back so much. I'm not sure what that's going to be like. 

    You may ask, "Then why stop?" And I'm not totally sure of the answer. I love what I do - I still have some work as I write this - and I also have a sense that this is a good time to bring this part of my worklife to a close. It's an interesting, thought-provoking, exciting place to be.

    I sometimes listen to the Calm app when I'm meditating. Recently Jeff Warren, one of their authors and a meditator, said...

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