Grace, Pen & Ink by Lisa Kagan

Grace, Pen & Ink by Lisa Kagan

Endurance Training
By Lisa Kagan

Every moment
of every day

has something to offer
even if it is just a type of
endurance training of sorts
now I make a point
to befriend time.

 

Befriending Time

This spring I was inspired to re-read the book Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman, hailed by critics as a “mystical book of meditations on time” and a “provocative exploration of time’s illusive nature.” I loved it the first time I read it many years ago, and I was called to its thoughtful and poetic wisdom during the last few months of quarantine due to the pandemic. Here is one of my favorite passages from the book that speaks to the value of being in the moment:

“Suppose that time is not a quantity but a quality, like the luminescence of the night above the trees just when the rising moon has touched the treeline. Time exists but it cannot be measured.”
– Excerpt from Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman

In my own meditations on time, I created the multimedia art piece which opens this post entitled Befriending Time. Navigating a surge of cancelled plans and a multitude of disappointments, we are being challenged to learn how to make sense of time without the structure and rhythm of the schedules we have grown to depend on. In some ways time has become more fluid, while simultaneously our mobility and personal freedom have become more restricted. In the process of slowing down, we may be noticing things that otherwise would have passed us by. In the storytelling process we do with our clients we dive into the time travel that journeying into memories can provide. I have been feeling that enhancing the quality of the time I have is helping to ease some of the burden of the uncertainty of this time.

Writings Prompts for You:

  • In what ways are you learning to befriend time these days?
  • What has this shift in time taught you about yourself and how you truly want to live?
A Prayer for the World, Mixed Media by Lisa Kagan as featured on CBS Sunday Morning

My Art Was Featured on CBS Sunday Morning

Highlight from CBS Sunday Morning segment narrated by Steve Hartman

On June 7th my art entitled, A Prayer for the World, was featured on the CBS Sunday Morning show. It was included at the end of a series of video clips highlighting moments of compassion and human kindness shared during the protests that erupted across the nation following the killing of George Floyd. This segment was narrated by Steve Hartman and is designed to give some airtime to those moments of hope; where love for one another is shown to be stronger than hate. I was honored to have my art included in this powerful piece, as I feel that we are all hungry for a bit of positivity and a little encouragement that through our efforts, big and small, we can help inspire each other to create the change we want to see in the world.

Tell Your Story

Our own stories of courage, resilience, and renewal are some of our greatest resources right now. Writing or telling our stories allows us to more deeply tap into our own inner wisdom. I have really been appreciating the increased focus and dedication that my clients are bringing to their projects during this time. Contact us if you are in the midst of writing your own life stories or the stories of your family and you need some help along the way. We are happy to set-up a free hour-long virtual consultation to brainstorm on your project and help you identify next steps in the process.

Oral History Interviews
Writing & Editing
Book Layout & Design