Soul Poet

Secret Garden of The Soul

For me, Poetry is a means of expressing our inner thoughts and feelings, our inspirations, insights and intimate experiences.

Life is poetry and poetry occurs all around us, in us and through, us all the time.


Poetry can be harsh and demanding, soft and yielding, delicate and dreamlike – and filled with stark realism. It doesn’t have to rhyme, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone other than the poet, and it can blissfully, willfully ignore the rules of grammar and presentation.

And – poetry can be prose, images, short, long, scribbled on the back of an envelope or inscribed in elaborate hand on expensive paper. In essence, poetry is essence, yours, mine, ours, and it is personal yet universal, even cosmic, at the same time.

These poems are an invitation to journey through the Secret Garden of a Soul, a soul in the process of re-membering its essence and reconnecting to its authentic, joyful self.

My intention is that in reading the poems, you will find a meaning unique to your life, and that you, too, may be led to a place of inner peace and joy, a private place where your soul can dwell unfettered by mundane concerns.

Christine Miller

What people say:

“I have just read your poems; they are very beautiful and soulful. Those poems would touch the minds and hearts of many people. You truly have the ability through your writing to touch people’s souls, Christine, and your voice is so needed in the world right now, your inner wisdom is bursting to come forth.”
Molly Harvey, The Soul Woman, Author/International Speaker, Former President and Fellow of the Professional Speakers Association

“Just received your poetry book. Reading through last night, it felt like a very privileged entry into your private world. The poem that particularly speaks to me this morning is ‘Blessings for Everyone’ – I love it.”   Judy Apps Author, Voice of Influence,

“I was so pleased to receive your wonderful book.  It is book of ideas, feelings, and remembrances.  It is the kind of book that you can have next to your bed or on a coffee table and revisit it a week later, a month later, or a year later.” Somers H. White, CPAE, FIMC, Marketing, Management, Coaching and Financial Consultants

“Lovely to receive your beautiful book.  Your poems indeed do touch the soul and give one lots to ponder about” Glennyce Eckersley, International Writer, Broadcaster and Speaker

Christine Miller has already established herself as a “Poetic Writer” through her many articles and through her excellent Resource Magazine. Christine now, with the publication of Secret Garden of the Soul, has turned her own poetic soul to a new volume of poetry that establishes her as a Poet of Her Time. The book is beautifully produced, and as you would expect if Christine were involved, is a feast for both the minds’ eye and the body’s eye. Beautiful metaphors lace the poetry, and beautiful photographic and illustrative images immaculately accompany each poem, giving it added meaning.

The cover, like the poet, is magical. In “In A Secret Location, Very Close to Paradise” Christine writes:

“Gazing into a box of mysteries

You will discover

Pearls of preciousness…..”

It is so, with Secret Garden of the Soul.

Tony Buzan , Multi-million selling author, poet & inventor of Mind Maps

Secret Garden of the Soul Available Now

This moving collection of poetry reflects an awakening of consciousness, and the liberation of a voice which has for many years been reluctant to publicly express its inner wisdom.

The poems are an invitation to journey through the Secret Garden of a Soul; a soul in the process of re-membering its essence and reconnecting to its authentic, joyful self.

The intention is that through reading the poems, you will find a meaning unique to your life, so that you, too, may be led to a place of inner peace and joy, a private place where your soul can dwell unfettered by mundane concerns.


 


 

Work as Play

Work as Play – The Heart and Spirit of Business

work as play christine miller It seems that increasing numbers of us are looking for different ways to live in a more balanced and fulfilling way, so that we feel connected with our work.

At the heart of this is the growing desire to have a sense of purpose and a yearning for meaning in how we spend our time and make our living. We want to feel the spirit of what we do – to be inspired.


People who have been working in organisations for many years are now being asked to re-apply for their jobs, unable to take them for granted any more and having to market themselves as the best candidates. This means they are in effect becoming more entrepreneurial in their approach to their positions. And those entering or rejoining the job market need to be very clear and precise about what they offer and how they fit with prospective employers, both for their own sake in finding satisfying work, and in order to attract a suitable opportunity. (See:
The ReSourceful Candidate)

Entrepreneurs, the self-employed, creatives and small business owners already know the importance of  this, but sometimes, running a business or being a freelance feels more like a job that ties you down than an uplifting experience of creativity, wealth and fulfillment. And the dream you started out with becomes a drudgery that leaves you working longer and longer hours just to stand still.
 
I had my most recent experience as an employee in the corporate world over 11 years ago now, and friends and colleagues who’ve known me for years (and even some who haven’t known me for long!) comment on the way I’ve crafted what is essentially the perfect job for me – meeting people and asking them about their current thinking and passions, guiding, coaching and mentoring executives, leaders and business people into the best options for them so that they LOVE what they do, writing, being creative, being playful – and having lots of fun.
 
Most of the time, I can’t distinguish whether I’m working or playing, so that my work becomes play for me…that’s a great joy. It didn’t happen by accident – I did actually deliberately create and craft the ‘playground’ (otherwise known as workspaces!)  in which I operate, and it is a highly productive space. And it evolves all the time, as I develop and learn and share with clients in workshops and individual sessions.
 
Find out more about loving work at www.loveworks.co 

An Audience with HH the Dalai Lama

An Audience with HH the Dalai Lama

dalai2His Holiness The Dalai Lama –
The Embodiment of Compassion

I was fortunate and honoured to be part of the Press group with the Dalai Lama when he visited the UK in 2008, there’s a full conversation with him on the Your Ultimate Resource site, this is a summary of his message.

Listening to the Dalai Lama sharing His experiences and thoughts, one of the aspects which most impressed me was the amount of laughter – both from himself and from His audience.There is warm heartedness, humility and a lightness of spirit which is very apparent in His way of speaking, and His words are aimed directly at the hearts of His listeners. His message of compassion and loving kindness is based on common sense and practical living, and he is clear in asserting His belief that:

“The purpose of life is for happiness, to survive happily”

 

One of His central teachings about the development of compassion is based on the importance of childhood influences, particularly the effects of parenting. He reflects on His own childhood, and says he believes that mothers are the starting point of loving kindness. He describes His own mother’s simplicity, an uneducated village woman from a farming background, and immensely warm hearted. Contrasting her love and gentleness with the more disciplinarian approach of His father, he concludes that had he spent more time in His early years with His father he would probably not have been the same person.

“I believe that my altruistic mind and my compassion – the very seeds of that mind I got from my birth and the next few months and years with my mother – that was the real starting point to raise my model of loving kindness.”

He goes on to say to parents:

“What I say is this – give maximum affection to your children.
That is very essential to bring us a happier humanity.
The main hope for humanity relies on our future generations.
So families with children have a special role –
to give maximum affection to your children.
And parents – particularly mothers – spend more time with your children.”


Read More Here (Registration required)
© Christine Miller All Rights Reserved

The Goddess Paradigm – beauty, peace and transformation

Heart-Tree2Knowing you just have to be somewhere

Last weekend I was invited to a workshop which gave me a big calendar challenge, in that I was already booked for other activities, and initially I declined. But the event kept nibbling away in my mind, that little voice got louder and the whisper became a shout – and I knew I just had to go. So I re-arranged and went off to London’s Docklands to the Orassy Kendron at Westferry.
Partially it was the thought of spending time with Romio Shrestha, who is an artist of extraordinary talent. He has a fascinating history of working with people such as HH the Dalai Lama, which is how I discovered Romio’s incredible paintings. In fact, two of his poster-sized books insisted on accompanying me home from my sojourn in Nottingham with the Dalai, and have had pride of place on my sitting room coffee table ever since.

But there was something else…

I couldn’t quite work out what – after all, I could interview Romio another time, and that would be just fine.

The surprise came from the collection of amazing women who were there – people I had met years before, and not seen for ages – where it felt like we had been together only moments beforehand. People I had never met before, but it felt like I’d known them for many years. The camaraderie and community were a huge pleasure to join.

And the sheer joy of a peaceful, calm and inspiring atmosphere which nurtured us all, connections made, spirits re-kindled and the delight of Romio’s powerful yet playful talk and his explanations of the meanings and qualities of the goddesses he depicts in his paintings. In all, it was a refreshing experience that nourished the soul and spirit, and long may the goddesses flourish.

Just think, if I hadn’t followed that intuition, that gut feeling, I might have missed a superb treat and a re-union with some fabulous soul sisters!

When have you followed you instincts and found it has paid off hugely? 
I’d love to know…please leave a comment below. 

About Romio

“In this lifetime, my Monastery will have no walls.”
– Romio Shrestha –

 

 

Romio Bahadur Shrestha was born into a Newar family in Katmandu in Nepal. When he was five years old, two Tibetan Buddhist monks arrived at the door. Romio, they said, was the seventeenth reincarnation of the master Tibetan Thangka painter Arniko and they gave to him a stock of valuable art materials, explaining that he would, one day, form his own school of painting.

An example of one of Romio’s works.

 

 

 

My Video of the Taras – Buddhist Goddesses

A short video I made about the Tara goddesses Romio Shrestha represents in his wonderful art.
Tara invocation music by Sarah Patterson with loving thanks

This was inspired by the five days I spent with the Dalai Lama in Nottingham in 2008. 

 

Loving East London?

 

 

 

 

Until I met Alison White a couple of weeks ago at an Olympic Legacy reception at the House of Commons, I associated ‘Elba’ with the Italian island famous for Napoleon’s first exile and the somewhat hackneyed palindrome attributed to him from that time – “Able was I ere I saw Elba…”

Not That ELBA

ELBA, however, is a completely different thing – the East London Business Alliance – which is dedicated to creating possibilities in East London.  I suppose they could be described as an island of opportunities where plans are hatched and put into action, so they do have that in common with Napoleon and his time in Elba, and certainly their ventures are bold and far reaching, but they are certainly not isolated or remote from the realities of life in East London.

I Love the DLR

I popped over to see Alison to explore how we might be able to collaborate on projects for local people. Their offices are in the docklands area, so I got to travel on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) which always pleases me, I love it, it reminds me of a kind of cute ‘toytown’ rail service! Of course I wasn’t using it in rush hour so regulars who travel at peak times might have a different perspective when it’s crowded.

Alliance of Major Organisations

ELBA has around 123 member organisations including some big household names, (e.g. Barclays, AXA, BT, Thomson Reuters) who support both financially and in kind on a wide range of initiatives to improve local life in this very diverse area. ELBA have volunteering, employment and legacy programmes, and can and do guide investment so that it is delivered where it is needed most and to a high standard.

They’ve been around for over 20 years, so they have much experience and local knowledge. I had a very refreshing time talking with Alison and some of her team about initiatives for helping those who are hard to reach and difficult to place in work, and the links they have forged that bring local people together with volunteers. We hope to be able to bring you more information about their work in the near future.

Contrasting Views

I also enjoyed strolling around the docklands area – it always inspires me with the stretches of water with birds, boats and floating restaurants, the cafes, the people and the varied architecture.  In what many might think of as cold,  unfriendly London, someone stopped to make sure I was okay when I was pausing on the pavement to check my map on the way there.

The stark juxtaposition of Canary Wharf with its amazing buildings and symbols of financial wealth with some of the poorest parts of East London remains an extraordinary experience. 
Hats off to those who are working to redress the balance.

Although there is of necessity a lot of activity and talk about the Olympics and their legacy, it’s good to know that the team at ELBA are there as a longstanding and enduring resource for making a positive difference in the community.

Watch out for more news soon!

 

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