Tabula Rasa
Sunday, January 2nd, 2022
There it is – My first time writing “2022” as we approach the start of a promising New Year! Tabula rasa (Latin: “scraped tablet” – i.e., “clean slate”) refers to a smooth piece of slate covered with bees wax used for notes in ancient times, which was cleared by heating the wax and then smoothing it. We like using this analogy at the start of each year, as we “begin again” and perhaps take stock of what the past year held for us and what we might like to refine, change, or do differently. Sometimes it helps to go back to a “Beginner’s Mind” and be open to all possibilities. Let’s explore this concept together!
Quotes to ponder
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” ~ Shunryu Suzuki
“You have so many opinions. And you suffer so much from them. Why not let them go?” ~ Ajahn Chah
“The more life moments you accumulate, the harder it is to “clear the slate,” the more mental baggage has to be melted and smoothed. There’s more unfinished life business to shove off the screen. In an interesting way, the more we can be everywhere, the less we can be right here, now. So, recognize that your mental equipment requires time to clear, to narrow the bandwidth, to focus…Give yourself the time “to scrape the slate clean,” to “melt the wax in the sunlight” and let it re-form a perfect blank slate.” ~ Jennifer St. John and the Fusion Group
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
Paths of Heart Schedule
(Sundays, 11 a.m.) MASKS REQUIRED for all in person gatherings. Thank you for your kindness and cooperation.
January 2nd – in person
January 9th– in person
January 16th – ZOOM gathering
Request for guest presenters and musicians! ~ Thanks to those who have stepped up to present a topic on Sunday, or to share music! Please let us know if you’re interested or have ideas of other speakers/musicians you’d like to invite. A small honorarium is available.
Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positive thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morning, please ask! We can be as specific or as anonymous as you’d like. Let us know if we can surround you and your loved ones in love and light!
“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth and Zen Meditation Garden – 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 in the labyrinth to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.
Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny are detailed below:
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!
During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. You can even sign up for monthly giving, which we deeply appreciate. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart!
Gratitudes
Thanks to our guest musicians and all who attended our “Songs of the Season” concert last Sunday. What a sweet morning celebrating the holidays with you!
What are you grateful for today?
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~ Voltaire
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~ William Arthur Ward
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!