May Reflections

 

Tra la! It’s May, the lusty month of May. That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray … It’s May! It’s May! That gorgeous holiday when every maiden prays that her lad … will be a cad!
— “The Lusty Month of May” Camelot by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe

 

The Celtic holiday of Beltane on May first was the feast of the Goddess and a popular pretext for ribald, earthy, fertility rites. The Celts could not have picked a better time. Spring hits her stride in the northern hemisphere and nature explodes in flower, scent, and bird song.

It’s also a good opportunity to look back at how far we’ve come since Winter Solstice, enduring the cold of January and February, while quietly invoking our vision for 2014. Then, in March and April, we listened for clues and invited our vision to reveal itself. Metaphorically, we devoutly tilled the soil of our consciousness, preparing it for the seeds of personal choice.

Now the cycle has shifted: it is time to take a stand.

What would you plant this spring in the garden of your life? What is your heart’s desire? Your soul’s sweet calling? In the coming weeks, take time to choose and speak your vision. Don’t worry if you feel a bit uncertain. You can refine your vision even change it, as the year unfolds. The important piece is to articulate it now. Just as plants and flowers put forth spring buds in full faith that they’ll blossom into beauty, it is time for us to voice our hopes, dreams and visions.

They year is unfolding quickly now (where did April go?) as the earth marches onward toward the year’s dramatic half way point: Summer Solstice. Now we must make a choice.

Conscious Capitalism and Conscious Money

Positive, life-affirming values are the “secret sauce” of Conscious Money and Conscious Capitalism and Trust Across America (TAA), founded by Barbara Kimmel, powerfully advocates greater trust in business. Trustworthy firms nurture an environment where people trust each other-and the benefits are enormous. As I noted in the last newsletter, a Watson Wyatt study showed high-trust organizations outperform their low-trust counterparts by 286 percent!

In April I reconnected with TAA’s newly-minted Boston contingent, including old friends like Raj Sisordia, co-author of Conscious Capitalism and the organization of the same name, and new ones like Eric Lowitt, Managing Director of Nexus Global Advisors, whose new book is The Collaboration Economy. TAA Boston is the place for inspired dialogue and exciting trust initiatives.

Nautilus Silver Book Award

Just one day after our April gathering, TAA’s Barbara Kimmel contacted everyone with big news: TAA’s first book, Trust, Inc: Strategies for Building Your Company’s Most Valuable Asset
had just won the Nautilus Silver Award in the business category.

It was my pleasure to write an essay for Trust Inc. So did Stephen M.R. Covey, Bob & Gregg Vanourek, and more than 20 others. Kudos to all our contributors especially Barbara Kimmel.

Thanks to everyone who wrote saying they enjoyed last month’s conscious flowers story. May this Season of Beauty dazzle your senses, gladden your heart, and activate your soul wisdom.

Love,

Patricia