I got this AMAZING email to day from Patti, who first got the “home study” Overcoming Procrastination Toolkit and got so much out of that that she’s now enrolled in the Get It Done Teleclass that starts tomorrow.

“Dear Samantha –

A short tale:

Awhile back, about 18 months, when I started grad school, I misplaced my morning prayer practice, along with my creative soul and writer self. (They got buried under piles of intellectual material.)

Recently, via your help with ‘pure preference’ (from the toolkit which I bought, and which inspired me to just take the live class!) I was able to recognize that I don’t want to be in grad school. At all.

So I’m leaving it. I want to get back to my creative writing. My prayer practice is part of that for me. It’s the way I center, pray for the life of the world, attune my gratitude, make space for the divine to come in, align with life, let go of sorrows.

A few days ago I started it again. I feel much better, needless to say.

And yes, the angels noticed. Quickly.

After I finished this morning, I checked my email, and first up was one from the editor of a lovely small journal asking me if she could use one of my poems in the upcoming issue, because it’s about mandalas and she felt the poem spoke to that. Appropriately, it’s called ‘Morning Glory.’ It reminds me of these morning classes, as well…of your teachings. I’m so looking forward to tomorrow. Blessings. –Patti in VT”

Here is the poem:

Morning Glory

In the morning’s garden glory

a small fern, the size perhaps of a thought,

begins to uncurl, opening itself to an as yet unknown world,

lacy fronds from its spiral core, a dancer awakened and unfolding.

It does what so many of us cannot do:

trust in the Godness of itself and this divine movement,

in the undeniable rightness of the timing

that tells it now is the moment to begin revealing its soul—

On this morning, like so many others

I sit under the oak and watch it, surrounded by a dozen

ordinary sparrows who flutter and chit. They land nearby

rightly ignoring me. The air

is a gospel of call and response

against a background of song pure and perfectly in tune—

a harmony that refuses to be undone

by human savagery or neglect.

The sun moves over the mountain by inches

warming the mist which draws back into itself

invisible again like its cousin, the wind.

Overhead thousands of leaves create a holy canopy

as if a bride and bridegroom are standing underneath

vowing solemnly to love each other without restraint.

Every creature, every song, every stone and leaf stalk

is a word of God, a gift, an eternal communion—and now I know

that it is only when we become insignificant and vast

we discover we must no longer beg to partake,

or break ourselves apart in order to carry the shame

of what we do, and leave undone

Instead we can listen and watch with each new soul

for the constant unfolding of Godstuff.

We can do what we must do—now—

not because a frenzied terror has gripped our hearts

but because we trust

in the rightness of the timing

and because we know that our smallness

is precious, and enough.

–Patricia Frankel, June 2009
www.pattifrankel.com

Totally GLORIOUS, Patti! This just thrills me to my bones.

Anybody else want in on the Get It Done Teleclass? www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com/winter