Weekly Reflection: All to Say

All to Say
We have been misguided to think our mind is the creator of all things. At its best, it moves like a fin in the invisible stream, aligning us with the forces of life. And the current, when in it, provides food when our mouths stay open. Try as we might to uphold the illusion, we are not giants who bend rivers. We are simple things ashimmer, most aglow when unadorned in our surrender, ready to live with the others swimming alongside us. All to say, we come alive when we cooperate more than dictate, when we align more than steer, when we give more than take. This doesn’t mean that we are not generative or creative. More that our creativity is the result of how receptive we are in joining with other life, the way atoms multiply to create tissue. In just this way, feelings and ideas graft onto each other. Until life begets life. Until energy begets energy. Until our deepest questions form the steps to the Ordinary Temple that is both in your heart and in the world. Meet me there.
A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or loved one, have each of you describe a time when you were asked to cooperate more than dictate, or a time when you were asked to align more than steer, or a time when you were asked to give more than take. Where did these shifts lead you?
This is from my book in progress, The Art of Welcome.   

This Thursday, Susan McHenry is offering a hands-on webinar from her home studio for the Ceramic Arts Network series Clay Flicks on August 20 at 1PM EST. If you are interested in learning more please click here.

Join Mark for a transformative week-long retreat in the breathtaking Piemonte region of Northern Italy, April 18-25, 2027.

Nestled in the enchanting Castello di Pavone, this intimate gathering invites you to explore creativity, meaning, and deepened presence in life’s second half.

“Perhaps our greatest resource in aging is staying close to life and staying creative. For creativity never leaves us. Its call simply keeps changing. And living a creative life does not mean that we have to strive to create great art. More deeply, we are asked to hold our individual lives as a work of art that inhabiting fully will bring into being. Just as we need oxygen to breathe, we need the creative flow to keep our heart alive. This is especially important as we age. To live a creative life sustains our inner health. And so, in our time together, we will center on our quest to keep growing and feeling, ever more deeply, as we age.”

To learn more and to register, please visit https://globalj.org/mark-pavone-overview/

Aug 28–30: The Language of the Soul, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Only 4 commuter spots left!! Click here to register. *Mercy by the Sea’s ministry is willing to offer partial scholarships to those in need. Learn more and apply here. IN PERSON

Sep 12: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, Day Long Retreat, Balletto Vineyards, Reserve Room, 5700 Occidental Rd, Santa Rosa, CA | 9am – 5pm | Sebastopol, California, SOLD OUT, Click here to join the waitlist. IN PERSON

Sep 13: @ 1pm PT: The Language of the Soul. An intimate afternoon conversation with Mark and Brooke Warner at Book Passage Corte Madera, California. Click here to register. IN PERSON

Sep 15: The Language of the Soul. An intimate in-person gathering with Mark at Godmothers Bookstore near Santa Barbara. SOLD OUT, Click here to join the waitlist. IN PERSON

Oct 11: @ 11-noon PT/2-3pm ET The Language of the Soul. A conversation with Mark Nepo and Joel Fotinos, presented by Banyen Books & Sound. Click here to register. ONLINE

January 10, 17, 24, 2027: The Language of the Soul, The Power to Awaken, Connect, and Heal. A 3-session webinar guided by Mark Nepo. 1-2:30PM ET | 10-11:30AM PT. Click here for more information. ONLINE

February 8-13, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, a Mastery week, The Modern Elder Academy in Baja, Mexico, Click here to sign up. IN PERSON

FEB 26-28, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, The Shallowford Center for Mindful Living, Atlanta Georgia, Link to Come, IN PERSON

April 2027: Weeklong Retreat with Mark Nepo in a castle outside of Milan, Italy Click here to learn more and register. IN PERSON

MAY 21-23, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Sophia Institute, Link to come! IN PERSON & ONLINE

JUNE 25-27, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY, Link to come! IN PERSON

AUG 27-29, 2027: The Path of True Experience, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Link to come! IN PERSON

SEPT 10-12, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Siena Retreat Center, Racine, WI, Link to come! IN PERSON