Everything is alive and everything is listening to you

Life is not a script. It is a conversation. Life is going to life. How are you connected to it? Cultural anthropologist and culture keeper Dr. Erika Powell shares when she learned to pray from a Lakota elder. In a meadow in South Dakota, the elder shared: everything is alive and everything is listening to you. Before this moment, she asked whose inbox was getting my prayers. When she connected to the life all around her, everything changed. She says, your purpose is to be human and to have this human experience. To connect to our shared humanity, the light and dark.The artist Arlene Kim Suda shares this theme of prayer through both her drawing of the rhododendron juxtaposed with three triangles. She also read a piece from the poem Ash Wednesday by T.S. Eliot, which includes the beautiful paradox: "Teach us to care and not to care / Teach us to sit still." How do we build compassion and be non-attached? All of this is an invitation to be less judgemental. We all want to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves. We appreciate your support and help so we can bloom! Please take a moment to give us 5-stars and share a review.You can always email us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We want to hear from you!Check out the new Gratitude Blooming journaling notecards at www.gratitudeblooming.com.If there’s a project, idea or vision you’d like to bring to fruition or clarity, Erika is the creative midwife that you want to guide you & help you navigate the process & journey.  Fostering transformation at the personal & professional levels as well as creating workplaces & cultures where employees thrive are at the heart of Dr. Erika Powell's work and teaching. Dr. Powell is bilingual in Spanish, holds a doctorate in Instructional Technology & Design from the University of Virginia, and a MS.Ed in Intercultural Communication from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Haverford College.https://thepowellconsultinggroup.com/If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners.And don't forget to check out our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com to help us sustain this podcast or sponsor us here. Thank you for your continued support. We appreciate you!