Gems at the Core of Bittersweet Moments

I hope this finds you thriving, even in the midst of the wild ride that we are on. There’s been no more important time to practice grounding, intentional breathing, and presence, creating reflective time to connect with what is Sacred in life, and staying connected with friends who support your growth process, as you do for them.

Wishing you every blessing in the coming weeks,

Roxanne

Gems at the Core of Bittersweet Moments
by Roxanne Howe-Murphy, , Ed.D., Teacher, Author, Coach

A dear friend and talented artist, Suzanne Mirviss, is just completing a tree sculpture that incorporates the experiences of nearly 100 women around a personal "bittersweet experience." I started reflecting on how much of life falls under the rubric of "Bittersweet."

I shared one of my own bittersweet experiences for the tree–it’s a photo taken of my elderly parents together in the last months of my dad’s life. Actually, the photo is just of their hands–Mom’s left hand on top of Dad’s right hand, resting on a lounge chair arm. It is simple, beautiful, and heart-openingly profound.

If we pay attention, bittersweet times are often are the most precious and tender moments in our life, and can teach us a lot about life and about ourselves. Here are a few reflections…

Bittersweet moments often come with a life transition–big or small. We can begin to notice how we ‘do life’ during these times, how we manage and adjust. We can see how they affect our own growth. Here are a few questions for your own exploration.

What bittersweet experiences do you remember? You might want to select one that stands out as you reflect on these questions.

Do you find yourself trying to hold on to a certain aspect of the experience so not to have to face the harder part of the experience?

What is it like to accept each moment of the experience as it arises?

Do you tend to orient yourself to one of these polarities–the bitter or the sweet–and to disregard the other?

The Enneagram shows us that some of us habitually are very comfortable and prefer the darker side of life (the sweeter, lighter dimensions of life might not even be apparent or may seem superficial), and some of us are more adverse to the sadness and sorrow that is part of life, preferring the sunnier side. Here it feels that being with the bitter is a "waste of time". What do you notice about yourself?

Is there something in this experience that still needs to be healed? Forgiven? Are you giving it the time that it needs? Is it taking up too much of your energy? How do you navigate this movement?

What do you take from the experience as you move on? Is there something you can use from your experience that provides nourishment for the next stage of your own growth?
 

Fundamentally, the paradox contained within ‘bittersweet’, is that everything truly is interconnected. The bitter does not exist without sweet; nor the sweet without the bitter. If we notice that are hearts are not somehow touched by these experiences, these times can become just another disparate chunk of undigested life activity that eventually leads us to feeling fragmented, even lost.

With love for it all,

 
Roxanne

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Authors Day Teleconference:

May 14, noon-1:00 pm PDT

A free benefit to Deep Coaching Bookclub members!

Spend an hour exploring a fascinating and important topic that provides a vital key for transformational work. Save the date. You will receive a special invitation letting you know about May’s topic.

Do you have Roxanne’s book, but are not yet a

Bookclub member?

Register here. It’s free and you’ll receive even more benefits: http://www.lifewisecoaching.com/deep-coaching-bookclub/
 

LIVE–MAY RETREAT!
The Wisdom of the Enneagram:

The Joyful Experience of An Awakening Life

 
May 15-17 at Mercy Center, Burlingame, CA

 
with Roxanne Howe-Murphy, Ed.D. &

Ronna Phifer-Ritchie, Ph.D.

 
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 5!
 

Beyond the study of personality types, the Enneagram is a powerful tool for supporting the work of awakening to our Essential Nature. This introduction to the psycho-spiritual approach to the Enneagram will enable you to "remember" aspects of your true self, and will help you to more rapidly recognize the "wake up calls" in your life that you can use to move toward higher levels of health and wholeness.

NOTE: Mercy Center often fills its rooms in advance of workshops, especially on the week-ends. Registering by this date ensures your space in the program, but not accommodations and meals at Mercy. Register now to reserve your room. Beyond the study of personality types, the Enneagram is a powerful tool for supporting the work of awakening to our Essential Nature. This introduction to the psycho-spiritual approach to the Enneagram will enable you to "remember" aspects of your true self, and will help you to more rapidly recognize the "wake up calls" in your life that you can use to move toward higher levels of health and wholeness.
 

For more details on the workshop, go to http://www.lifewisecoaching.com/riso-hudson-workshops/wisdom-of-the-enneagram/

 
To register now, go to: http://www.mercy-center.org/Flyers_2009/0515Enneagram/enneagram1.html

LIVE–JUNE ENNEAGRAM WORKSHOP
The Three Instincts: Using the Enneagram to Create REAL Balance in your Life and Harmony in your Relationships

 
June 26-28, 2009

 
Mercy Center, Burlingame, California

 
With Roxanne Howe-Murphy, Ed.D. &

Ronna Phifer-Ritchie, Ph.D.

Our instinctual nature, operating 24/7, is extremely powerful in our decision-making processes, lifestyle choices, and orientation to day-to-day reality, yet is often given little emphasis in spiritual work. The Enneagram deals directly with this aspect of the Self through teachings about the Three Instincts–Self-Preservation, Sexual (Attraction), and Social (Adaptation).

 
Hours : Friday, 7-10 pm; Saturday, 9 am-6 pm; Sunday,

9 am-5 pm

 
Earlybird price ends May 26

Registration deadline: Monday, June 15, 2009

For more information:

http://www.lifewisecoaching.com/riso-hudson-workshops/three-instincts/

 
To Register:

http://www.enneagrowth.com/events.php#balance or 408/398-7111

 
NOTE: This course qualified for CE credit for MFT’s and LCSW’s and is a requirement for the Deep Coaching Certification program

Deep Coaching Retreat:

The Living Application of the Enneagram

 
Deep Coaching Students! Reserve your space by pre-registering for the Deep Coaching Retreat now.

Dates: Oct 18-22 Mercy Center, Burlingame, CA. (near SFO)

For more information and to pre-register, go to: www.lifewisecoaching.com/deep-coaching-retreat/
 

DEEP COACHING BOOK GIVE-AWAY

Congratulations to our March book winner!

Susan Bass is the March 2009 winner of a copy of

the Deep Coaching book!

Still don’t have Roxanne’s Deep Coaching book?

Or would you like to give one as a present?

 
We are giving away one book a month! No strings attached (other than the legalities of having a give-away program).

Register and perhaps a book will be coming your way for *free*.

We’ll announce the April winner in the next Awakening Wisdom ezine.

http://www.lifewisecoaching.com/deep-coaching-book-giveaway/

 
Good luck!

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I have two recommendations for those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area this month!

Explore the Shadow with NY Times bestselling author Debbie Ford - May 1 & 2
 

In teaching and coaching, I have found that the Enneagram is a profound tool for exploring the continuum between the Light and Dark sides of our nature. Though we may want to avoid it, the Shadows hold a key to our liberation.

Learn more at: www.bayareacoaches.org

Learn more about the Friday May 1 movie screening and the Saturday May 2 full day workshop, Embracing Your Shadow
 

Become a More Confident Speaker: A Workshop for Women Who Are Anxious About Speaking

with Jeannine Kay of Giving Voice

May 16 in San Francisco

Being a confident public speaker is a great asset for anyone who, as Jeannine says, "has something to say". Conversely, the lack of confidence in speaking can be one of the biggest obstacles in taking your place in the world.

For more information, go to: http://www.givingvoice.biz/services-programs/seminars-for-group/

Dr. Roxanne Howe-Murphy has directed LifeWise Learning Institute, an Enneagram-based coaching and education company since 1997. In 2007, Roxanne’s breakthrough and internationally acclaimed book, Deep Coaching: Using the Enneagram as a Catalyst for Profound Change was published. As an expression of her commitment to inspiring awakening in the world, she teaches her signature work, Deep Coaching, to coaches and other growth-oriented professionals who are committed to integrating the robust and life-changing work of the Enneagram into their practices. She also is on the faculty of the Core Strengths Coaching Program at San Francisco State University.

 
Roxanne is certified as a coach and Riso-Hudson Enneagram teacher. She also directs the Enneagram Institute of the San Francisco Bay Area, an affiliate of the acclaimed Enneagram Institute, a global leader in Enneagram studies. She is authorized to offer workshops created by Don Riso and Russ Hudson, preeminent Enneagram teachers and authors. She is also among the first to receive the designation of IEA (International Enneagram Association) Accredited Enneagram Teacher.

 
She continues to pioneer and teach new applications of the Enneagram to help increase individual and collective consciousness. To contact Roxanne for interviews, articles or talks, write roxanne@lifewisecoaching.com.

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