Kindness, Humility, and Gratitude

Sunday, January 24th

These three qualities (and more) are on our minds and in our hearts today, as we write on this auspicious Inauguration Day with great hope for our country and the world’s future. We refrain from politics here at Paths of Heart, yet there is an overwhelming sense of peace and calm that washes over us in this moment as we look forward to a new day. We have been on edge of late, seeing the hatred and violence festering in the hearts of many, and we affirm that change is coming, with the gentle coaxing of kindness and love that we can all help spread.
Our next scheduled ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering is this Sunday, January 24th, at 11 a.m. MT. We have determined, through an informal poll of attendees, that going forward we’ll continue to meet every 2 weeks on ZOOM at 11 a.m. Please RSVP (via email preferably) for this Sunday’s meet-up, as only those folks who RSVP will be sent the link (on Saturday). See you then with an open heart,
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“An honest concern for others is the key factor in improving our day to day lives. When you are warm-hearted, there is no room for anger, jealousy or insecurity. Healthy, happy families and a healthy peaceful nation are dependent on warm-heartedness.” ~ Dalai Lama

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~ Dr. Seuss

“No one is born hating another person… People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” ~ Nelson Mandela

“As much as we need a prosperous economy, we also need a prosperity of kindness and decency.” ~ Caroline Kennedy

“Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families, and nations.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Remember to RSVP if you’d like to join us for our Paths of Heart Zoom meeting on Sunday, Jan. 24th at 11 a.m. Mountain Time. Only those who RSVP will be sent the link to join.

Paths of Heart and Mark and Colleen were incredibly honored to be featured in the ChooseLoveMovement.org ‘s “Daily Dose of Love” newsletter, along with a YouTube link to Mark’s song “I Choose Love”. Thank you to Tamara S. for letting this amazing organization know about Mark’s song! The Choose Love Movement is inspired by 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, his final acts of love, and his mother’s path of forgiveness after Jesse was killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting. Paths of Heart and the Choose Love Movement are so aligned in our mission to simply “choose love” in whatever situation we find ourselves in!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden this spring/summer! This was intentioned to be a community space, so know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk or sit – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day!

Giving Opportunities – We wanted to remind you of two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny. 🙂

King Soopers Community Rewards Program – if you shop at KS and have a rewards card, you can “link” it to Paths of Heart and King Soopers will donate a portion of your dollars spent (around 5%) to our non-profit. Go to https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards to sign up and link your card. Our organization name is Paths of Heart and organization number is RG782. Let us know if you want help signing up!

Amazon Smile – We do love shopping locally and very often do, but Amazon sometimes fits the bill. If you are an Amazon shopper, you can make a difference by shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/81-4175487 to generate donations for Paths of Heart!

We are so overwhelmingly grateful to all those who donated to Paths of Heart on #Giving Tuesday, #Colorado Gives Day, and as part of your “end of the year giving” plans!
Online donations are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ . We know this past year has been a tough one financially for many individuals and non-profits, including Paths of Heart, and we do not take your generosity for granted. Thank you so very much!

Gratitudes

We are so grateful to be entering what we feel is a new era in our country ~ one of kindness and character, honesty and service. We are sighing deep breaths of gratiude…

What are you grateful for today?

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” ~ Anthony Robbins

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

About Paths of Heart…

Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together (in new and creative ways!) for music, poetry, commentary, and dialogue to create and nurture joy, compassion, gratitude, and love – in our own lives and throughout the world. Paths of Heart is a 501(c)(3) Human Services/Educational non-profit organization that uses the arts, especially, to encourage and propel seekers of a better, more peaceful world to find ways to serve, while becoming more kind and compassionate human beings.

We welcome you as we collectively and individually explore the sweet mysteries of life – this is an invitation into co-creation!

Visit us on the web at https://www.pathsofheart.org
We hope our physical paths may cross soon!

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ― Rumi

Spiritual Navigation

Sunday, January 10th

It was challenging to get out of bed this morning. We just wanted to stay there, wrapped up in warmth and peace, cocooned from the assaults and ambushes that the outside world all too often confronts us with. We’ve been basking in the bright promise of this new year, and were cut down abruptly (and all too soon) in our humanness by yesterday’s events in our Nation’s Capitol. Our Paths of Heart topics during the first month of a new year often include “Intentions”, “Tabula Rosa” (a clean slate), “Finding Our Word of the Year”, “Epiphany” (in the forefront of our minds at the moment), etc. ~ all in an effort to “take stock” and realign our spirit beings with our physical bodies that move about this earth. In times like these (or in ANY moment!), how do we stay IN this world but not OF it? How do we stay grounded in love and peace as the cruelties of this world rage around us? As always, we invite you into the conversation so we may all help one another navigate and rise above these turbulent times.
Our next scheduled ZOOM Paths gathering is this Sunday, January 10th, at 11 a.m. MT. If you haven’t sent in your RSVP (via email preferably), please do so, as only those folks who RSVP will be sent the link on Saturday. See you then and let’s all pray for peace, love, and understanding,
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“So many of us bungee cord from wanting to contribute in a meaningful way to wanting to escape simply altogether…disappear and live quietly in some remote place filled with villagers who share our values. We teeter between TA-DA and bye-bye now! Right?” ~ Christopher Lowell

“Celebrate endings ~ for they precede new beginnings.” ~ Jonathan Huie

“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.” ~ Alan Cohen

“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.” ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

“While politics may have been the initial trigger, it is clear to those who have always embraced truth, inclusiveness and human empathy, that something far bigger, if not perhaps even ultimately transcendent, is at play…” ~ Christopher Lowell

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Remember to RSVP if you’d like to join us for our second Paths of Heart Zoom meeting on Sunday, Jan. 10th at 11 a.m. Mountain Time. Only those who RSVP will be sent the link to join.

You Matter Marathon – Paths of Heart participates in this international movement throughout the month of November every year. Since we didn’t get to meet in person for our last 2 gatherings, we’d still love to hear your stories of how you are sharing your YOU MATTER cards. Please send them to us and we’ll post in future newsletters. For more information about this movement go to: https://youmattermarathon.com/

Giving Opportunities – We wanted to remind you of two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny. 🙂

We are so overwhelmingly grateful to all those who donated to Paths of Heart on #Giving Tuesday, #Colorado Gives Day, and as part of your “end of the year giving” plans!
Online donations are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ . We know this past year has been a tough one financially for many individuals and non-profits, including Paths of Heart, and we do not take your generosity for granted. Thank you so very much!

Gratitudes

We were grateful to spend peaceful and non-structured holiday time as a family these past several weeks (though we missed our son Myles!). We hope you were all able to do the same, within the safety guidelines so important these days.

What are you grateful for today?

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” ~ Anthony Robbins

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart