Welcoming Peace
This Autumn

Dear Friend

Welcoming Change
The young become the old
and mysteries do unfold
for that's the way of time
no one, and nothing goes unchanged 
- Everything Must Change - Bernard Igner
There is the inkling of Autumn emerging in the air here in London, the feeling of the wheel of the year about to turn.  Opening the door to change enables us to flow freely and I've been loving listening to Gill Manly's stunning version ofEverything Must Change to help me roll with the changes.

Welcoming Our Voice
It only takes one voice at the right pitch to start an avalanche - Dianna Hardy
Our voice is an immensely powerful instrument which, when used with awareness, can change our world.  Welcoming our voice enables us to speak, present, sing and communicate with confidence, joy and vibrancy.  We can also then empower, inspire and encourage others around us to find their voice - competition transforms to celebration when we remember that everyone's voice is more unique than their finger print!  I'm looking forward to an exciting new term of choirs as I know that through the process of singing together we are all liberated in very unique ways.

Welcoming the Harmony of Difference
There’s something that’s quite other about singing the harmonies that’s more unifying than singing in unison – P. Peace Makers Choir 
One of the things I love about choirs is how, through the harmonising of unique voices, we create something bigger than all of us.  Around the world this September, people will be raising their voices for #WorldPeaceDay - and we'll be celebrating locally with a Peace Parade at Crystal Palace Food Market.
I'm also thrilled to be taking part in Croydon Composers again this year- a project which brings composers across varied cultural and genres to create new music together.  It's thrilling to see what happens when musical worlds collide and I can't wait to see what comes out of the musical pot this year.

Welcoming Our Treasures
As dyed in blood, the streaming vines appear,
While long and low the wind about them grieves;
The heart of Autumn must have broken here,
And poured its treasure out upon the leaves.
 - Woodbines in October - Charlotte Fisk Bates

 It takes just one falling leaf, a smudge of red, to light up a dull grey pavement.  Deep within us is a part of us that longs to pour out our treasure - our unspoken words, unwritten books or unsung songs - to share who we really are with the world.  It can feel so huge and overwhelming, like an unscalable mountain - yet every book is written a word at a time. I loved thisblog on marginal gains by James Clear which reminds us that just a 1% improvement can start a whole chain of positive change in our lives. As the seasons change, we can align to our True North with daily actions which share and grow the real treasures of love, joy, peace and fulfilment in life.

Wishing you the a warm, glowing, peaceful September


Website: www.therosewindow.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katierosewindow
Twitter: @katierosewindow

Reflections on the
Meaning of Life @42

Dear Friend

Making Life Meaningful
The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe to it.
Being alive is the meaning - Joseph Campbell
Having now reached the meaningful age of 42, with gratitude for still being alive, here are some reflections on the meaning of life. 

Meaningful Creativity
The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose is to give it away - Picasso 
Know Thyself - the great inscription at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi - commands us to discover our deepest selves - which includes our unique calling or gift in life.   Humans are of course meaning-making machines - adept at adding layers and layers of theory, analysis and mad thinking to complicate life.  So to know oneself may require excavation of layers of conditioning to liberate our true selves.  The dig is worth it - for at the heart of every person is a treasure trove of creativity that can be channelled into infinitely diverse works, projects, relationships, artistry and the pure joy of simply being alive. 

Meaningful Service
If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life - Dalai Lama
To give away our gift in live enables us to contribute to the lives of others - to share our artistry, love, compassion, empathy, creativity and happiness-bestowing qualities generously with others.  In doing so we find that happiness shared is happiness magnified and multiplied exponentially. 

Meaningful Harmony
Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations. - Monty Python, The Meaning of Life
The big search for meaningful living is shared by everyone.   When we remember this, it is easy to respect that there are as many paths to meaning as there are people.  With this understanding, we can then create connections across perceived boundaries of creed and culture and extend warmth and compassion for every person engaged in the journey of life.  

Letting It All Go 
There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.  There is another theory mentioned, which states that this has already happened
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
It's possible that if we did actually know the exact meaning of life was we might a) give up looking, searching and creating it, b) explode because it's too huge to fathom, c) find that what is known rapidly transforms into another layer of unknowingness.
As all the great mystics and artists have ever taught us - the great mystery of life cannot be named, cannot be conceptualised - so the attempt to find it is absurd.  A glimpse can sometimes just be shared in the peak moments of life, when we find ourselves vibrantly alive in the joy of our truth, connecting with others to create a better world or indeed sharing laughter at the madly beautiful meaningful meaningless of it all... ;) 

Wishing you a Meaningfully Meaningless August

Website: www.therosewindow.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katierosewindow
Twitter: @katierosewindow