So, for me it is not about wood “against” plastic, it is about upholding the understanding and love for wood and natural materials, keeping the balance and awareness of sustainability. Plastic is here to stay, and my goodness do I love my plastic rubber boots living here in Iceland. We have the freedom to make conscious choices.

This choice is important. This choice also applies to other areas of our life that sometimes become overwhelming and “out of balance”. Social media for example is not a terrible thing if we know how to handle it and we don’t let it handle us! Watching the news is important to stay informed yet can become a perpetual shower of negativity if we allow it to.

The world has always been a place of wonder, love, magic and a collection of horrible events all at the same time. What is our place in all this? For most of us it is still a daily choice. Some choose brave activism, some have the guts to work in politic or focus on social opportunities to have a positive impact, yet others teach the making of a little wooden fish. All this counts, all this matters!

Soul inspired action matters, it is the wholesome antidote to becoming paralyzed, to get stuck in the shower of negativity and fear. How do we get inspired to take inspired action? By stopping non-inspired action, by consciously slowing down the automated trot and shutting out those outer detrimental voices long enough that we can start hearing our own voice again. Out of silence and stillness springs inspired action. Inspired action will change ourselves, so we can change the world … possibly one little wooden fish at a time.

Sending my warmest regards and cheering you on, always
Bernd

We are not cute, furry little rabbits instinctively hopping around from one carrot to the next, we are powerful mindful beings full of free choices and incredible potential. It might take a little extra work and dedication to harness a new believe, the unlearning of old detrimental habits and thoughts, but it is possible. We can choose for example to read inspiring and instructive books, listen to educational podcasts, take an online course or retreat, and start a breakthrough transformation … if that is what we want! We are where our attention is, so let’s choose wisely!

The rewards are many, not only for ourselves, but for everyone around us. People that do not enjoy are unenjoyable, people who love doing what they do are the best possible service providers imaginable! And that of course is my repeated claim, that art is foremost a service, our way of giving, inspiring and enriching the world.

How to start? Where to find a guiding light? I believe and fully trust that our soul provides an inner knowing matching a higher source, whatever name we like to give it. This inner voice has been calling us all along, but we might have been way to busy and noisy to hear, paying attention to other voices instead. How has that worked out for us until now?

Every day offers a new opportunity to break an old cycle, to decide on a new path, to do what you are really called doing, soul inspired, to do what makes you happy, to allow your light to shine. The supporting book, friend, teacher, random stranger will show up to lead you on, if you decide to pay attention.

Sending my warmest greetings, always
Bernd

As we are getting increasingly detached from the forces of nature, having light and heat and food at our disposal all year round, we might unfortunately also get overly detached from the deeper wisdom of nature’s endless lessons. The exuberant act of letting go, which trees demonstrate so powerfully, can serve as the best reminder for our own ability and choice to let go. It is engraved in the nature of a tree to automatically let go of old leaves. But we can choose freely! We can decide and learn to actively let go of things, behaviours and believes which do not serve us anymore.

Why bother? Well, even if we truly live the life of our dreams right now, stagnation would eventually get the best of us if we are not willing to shed old leaves and grow new buds.

In our online classes we often discuss the wisdom of trees manifested in the marvelous building material we use to create our wooden puppets. On this path of learning to craft those puppets we have ample opportunity to let go of old limiting behaviours and believes such as: I don’t deserve, I am not talented enough, not good enough, too old, too broke, no time … Trees don’t waste a second in such vane acts of self-sabotage. They just do what trees do: they steadily grow green leaves, turn them yellow and red, let them go and then start all over again. And this is how an acorn turns into a mighty oak.

Wishing you a contemplative and happy Fall Equinox,
Bernd