Fill the world with gladness
“Writing down one thing you are grateful for each day is the cheapest possible therapy ever.”–Kevin Kelly With all the world’s seeming issues, it can be hard to decide what to take on first. Should I contribute to the food bank? Should I march for peace? It seems to me that the above headline, about […]
Happy 2/22: Traveling through reality in a whole new way
“The giver never goes without.”—Kat Dawes, the Now Ninja I am so excited. It’s 2/22, the day when Taz and I officially announce this year’s recipients of the Taz Grout 222 Foundation awards. As usual, I had many, many stellar applications. Seriously, there were so many fabulous ideas for rising above, for coming alive, for […]
Bumping into other dimensions
“Forgiveness is man’s deepest need and highest achievement.”—Horace Bushnell Good morning, sports fans. I trust you’re staying toasty, cozy and celebrating the fact that much-needed moisture is falling free of charge from the sky. Talk about a miracle! Today’s Course in Miracles lesson, for those following along, brings up the F word. Forgiveness. As I […]
My 2021 travel plans
“Look for the little hints of magic glittering at the corners of your life.”–Martha Beck As a grounded travel writer, I’ve had to use my imagination this year. Instead of exploring new countries, I’ve traipsed through my little town’s 54 parks. Instead of elephants on the savannahs of Africa, I’ve oohed, I’ve aahed over giant […]
I want to give money away: Now taking pitches for the 2021 award of the Taz Grout 222 Foundation
“If you have love in your heart, then your very life will bring about a transformation of society.”—Krishnamurti It’s that time of year, my friends, when I take pitches for the 222 Foundation I started to honor my magical daughter, Tasman McKay Grout, who died in 2018 from a cerebral aneurysm. As I’ve written before, […]
Why it’s time to widen the aperture
“Arrive curious, without the armor of certainty. Live the life that chooses you, new with every breath, every blink of your astonished eyes.”—Rebecca del Rio Tomorrow is Tasman’s birthday. She would have been 27. I strongly believe she came to me 27 years ago as an act of great love. I was a 37-year-old singleton […]
Rely on the mystical
“Our minds and bodies have been laboring for decades to serve the demands, fears and neuroses of the illusory, finite self.”—Rupert Spira Happy Friday, my friends! Just wanted to share a couple quick things. The above quote by Rupert Spira, a brilliant ceramics artist from Great Britain, pretty much sums up the human condition. Rather […]
Sit. Feast on your life.
“If we seek beauty, it will spill into our lives.”—Mary Pipher So the title of this post “Sit. Feast on your life” came, not from a self-help book, but from my daughter Taz’s bedroom wall. Being an artist myself, I allowed her to decorate her room however she chose. She drew a three-foot, eerily-accurate octopus […]
The BIG reset
“If you’re thinking, ‘but my life is upside down,’ don’t worry. How do you know down is not better than up?—Shams of Tabriz We used to have lions and tigers and bears (Oh my!) to frighten us on our journey through life. Now we’ve got a little device no bigger than a deck of cards. […]
Uplifting the Planet, One Dance at a Time
“Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance–Martha Graham Two days ago, I woke up discouraged and lethargic. The crazy uncle in my head was concocting a major soap opera. Act I: Woe is Me, starring Pam Grout. Act II: We’re all going to die. And then, during the commercial break, […]
