Sunday, January 7, 2018

What I Mean When I Talk About Sparkle



There are moments in life that vibrate with an energetic aliveness I don't ordinarily have, a feeling of delight, joy, of being in sync with myself in a way that goes beyond everydayness. In that moment I feel a shivery joyful excitement I want to last forever. Professor Sean Kelly writes about "a time when you really feel alive, when your past, your present and your future make sense together as the unity they have always promised to be." When I talk about Sparkle, this is what I'm talking about.

You may have another name for it. Perhaps you are teaching and for a time you and your students are all engaged in the same special moment with each other and you sense everyone feels that.  Or perhaps you are a musician and there is a glorious moment when the music plays you or you're a writer and...well, how does it go for you? It can come up in so many ways and so many guises. Today would you be willing to share with me how it comes to you, how you experience it, what you call it?

I hope you'll join me on this journey of exploration.

If you can't post here or rather not, please email your thoughts to me at babschwartz68@gmail.com.

Barbara










2 comments:

  1. Teaching has always been my Sparkle, well mostly. There was a few years at the end of my public teaching career that were more than difficult. But sharing my love and passion when I was sharply focused made me come alive. Even some of my professors in college saw that I could ignore things going on around me while I was teaching. Once while I was giving a lesson outside (P.E. major) two boys were chasing another student with a gun. I never saw that whole scene being played out, and this was in the early 70's when it wasn't a common thing. My focus was just on the lesson. I was really engaged. The same goes for what I teach now. I can use auto pilot, and sometimes do, but when I really get excited about a series of poses, or a pose that really addresses someones problem...I'm fully engaged. A rising energy takes place and I know exactly what to do, where to go with the class, and I'm "fully on".
    Another instance that I think about is the passing down of Sparkle. In my family at gatherings we always finished the day with a family card game. As kids we had to stand beside our elders and watch if we were interested. Then when we were invited into the game, it was initiation by fire, and as scary as that was, there was volcanic energy that rose up in me. Not only had I been invited to the game, but I knew that I had to play to the best of my ability or get "what did you play that card for?". The challenge was enough to drive that energy up through my spine, and when I got better and better, then the sparkle just was so natural, it became it's own high. You're in your element, and all is right with the world.
    Judy Denney

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  2. Hi Everyone, This IS FROM BARBARA. I know I posted previous writing on Sparkle, and I can't imagine what happened to it. Hmmmmm. I've told some of you there are two posts. There were two posts. I'm now trying to figure out if I can redo it. Barbara

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