60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday: What You’re Looking For Is Looking For You

Hello to you listening in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Maybe like me you find yourself having lost track of the pathway of purpose. What’s my work for? Who’s it for? Why does my work matter?When I hit this place I ask 4 questions to re-orient my compass heading to True North:Why?Why Me?Why Me Here?Why Me Here Now?And then I set out on a walk to listen for the answers which will show up. Guaranteed! How do I know? Because what you’re looking for is looking for you.  Story Prompt: What are you looking for? What might be looking for you? Write that story and tell it out loud!   You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Quezon City, the Philippines!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.In 2017 (years before the current madness) Pope Francis said, “Hitler didn’t steal the power, his people voted for him, then he destroyed his people.” That’s what con men do. Yes, there are days when We the People feel ashamed - even hopeless - for having been duped.At the same time I’m reminded of a line in William Faulkner’s 1936 novel Absalom, Absalom!. “Well, Kernel, they kilt us but they ain’t whupped us yit!” The quote captures the spirit of the post-Civil War South, suggesting a resilience despite a devastating military loss. For those who paid attention, with that quote Tim Kaine introduced Hillary Clinton ahead of her concession speech. It still applies. Work still remains. Question: If it’s true - and I believe it is - we are responsible for the world in which we find ourselves because we alone can change it, how are We the People showing up, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant? How are you finding your voice in these times and what are you saying when you speak up? We the People are casting off our feelings of helplessness, committing to action, reaching for miracle. Where do you find yourself reaching for miracles? Reach! They ain’t whupped us yit! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Warsaw, Poland!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit more) for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.I am deeply proud of my Polish heritage and being a lawyer. These times are unprecedented; but especially for judges, the last line of freedom’s defense. Attacks on the independence of the judiciary are sweeping our country taking various forms ranging from court capture to direct attacks on judges. The cowards behind the attacks know that the independence of judges - the judicial branch of government - is foundational to democracy.“Judicial independence is fundamental to the rule of law. The rule of law is fundamental to freedom. Freedom is fundamental to the protection of every citizen.” [John Macmenamin - Judge at the Supreme Court of Ireland]Those are not my words. Those are the words of John Macmenamin, a judge at the Supreme Court of Ireland who joined with Polish judges at the “1000 Robes March”, an unprecedented event held in the name of judicial independence.1000 Robes March was the greatest demonstration of judges in contemporary Europe, with more than 30,000 people, including hundreds of judges from 22 European countries marching in solidarity with their Polish colleagues in the fight for judicial independence. The silent march in January 2020 was a reaction to proposed laws that threatened to undermine the judiciary’s independence in Poland.  "A Thousand Robes" is a short (12 minute) documentary film directed by Kacper Lisowski. The story is about mutual gratitude, focusing on the positive interactions between judges, lawyers, and the public. It highlights citizens who are moved by the judges' defense of their rights and lawyers who have experienced solidarity from ordinary people and European judges. The film serves as a warning against what dismantling the democratic mechanisms of the state leads to.Documenting this touching episode of the dramatic struggle for the rule of law that still lacks a happy ending in Poland, Kacper Lisowski also talks to the European judges participating in the march of a thousand robes. Particularly poignant is the voice of a Turkish judge who knows from experience what happens when such a struggle is lost.Click HERE to watch A Thousand Robes the film on YouTube.CTA: Maybe like me you will be moved to tears at what We the People can accomplish when we heed a call to action. This is what democracy looks like! Take Hope! Take Heart! Take Courage from all the good work being done by our federal judges who are in solidarity with our Democracy, our Constitution, our rule of law without fear or favor! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening from wherever your feet touch the ground on this Halloween which has roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced SOW in) which marked the end of summer and the harvest and begins the darker half of the year.Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, the Witch of Whidbey.Over these past 6 weeks (as I do every year) I’ve been retracing in my journal and my memories the pilgrimage I walked on the Camino de Santiago. 500 miles from St. Jean Pied de Port, France, over the Pyrenees into Spain and across Spain to Santiago and finally to Finisterre. By this time back then I was leaving Finisterre, Spain bound for uncertain transition and re-entry into life back in the States.       “Look to the Helpers” showed up as the prevailing theme in this year’s “trek along the Buen Camino.”  No matter how lost or uncertain, cold, wet, tired, or hungry there was always someone or something to show me the way, the next step. Maybe the Camino’s yellow arrow, maybe Camino magic, maybe a stranger - how often we pilgrims relied on the kindness of strangers. In turn, we learned how to give a hand up to one another because Each One Lift One is a lesson the Camino deeply ingrains.Something I’ve not thought of in decades came to mind as I mused on Helpers. I’d been given a brand new shiny emerald green big girl 2-wheeler bicycle for my 7th birthday. The first I’d ever owned. Now I’d have to learn how to ride it.It was cold that New Jersey February. I remember dad holding the back of the bike seat steadying the bike as I learned to balance, keep it upright, steer down the concrete sidewalk. Once I got the hang of it I peddled a short way, and then a little longer, dad’s fingers still on the rear of the bike seat until he let go and there I went wobbling but upright, making my way down the sidewalk. I was riding a 2-wheeler bike!That’s been my life from that day to this: testing my balance, falling down 7, getting up 8, gaining confidence. But never alone. The Helpers in my life, always there, holding, steadying, letting go, and watching with pride! There she goes! That’s our girl! All attitude, sass, class and adventure ready for what’s next.What’s next was washing up on the shores of Whidbey Island to become the Witch of Whidbey. Still finding my way, orienting my True North compass, looking to the Helpers.Story Prompt: What about you? How have you traveled Life’s roads? Who are your Helpers? Write that story and tell it out loud!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

 Hello to you listening in Toronto, Ontario, CanadaLand!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.My morning “rise & shine” routine is not complete without a page from the book, Pluto Living - Welcome to the Plutoverse by Pluto (& Mom a.k.a. NJ Wight, renowned wildlife photographer). You might remember the smart and sassy older lady Canadian Miniature Schnauzer who launched her very own Pluto Living YouTube channel on March 17, 2020 where she dispensed wisdom, laughter, history lessons, and tips on how to live better with less during the COVID. Pluto is now Angel Pluto but thanks to the InterWeb you can catch up with Pluto Living videos, playlists and shorts. Click HERE to access the YouTube channel  Click HERE to access the Pluto Living home pageFinally, Pluto’s message that kick-started my day: “The stay-homes are making Mom’s nerves jump around like a kangaroo convention! Everyone, you have to try to find a little spot of normal in these strange times. And maybe have a cookie? So-so-so, try to make your world just a little bit quieter for yourself in some small way. Maybe you could also do some little thing to make someone else’s world feel a little bit softer. We have to rise up and be kind.”  Question: How are you rising up to be kind? Share the good word!  And thank you for listening.You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in these still indivisible United States of America!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.I’ve been following Parker Palmer’s work since I bought a copy of his book, Let Your Life Speak - Listening For the Voice of Vocation, in 1999. You might be familiar with this quote which has become a guiding light for me: “Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent.”  Over these past months We the People have turned occasional protests into protest projects coupled with growing political power to heal democracy.What else do we need? Palmer’s book, Healing the Heart of Democracy; The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit (published in 2011) draws on our human instinct to choose hope, creativity and action for the common good over conflict.Following are five “habits of the heart” that can help us restore democracy’s foundations as we nurture them in ourselves and each other:   • An understanding that we are all in this together   • An appreciation of the value of “otherness”   • An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways   • A sense of personal voice and agency   • A capacity to create communityChange arises out of chaos; but we have to learn the root causes of the chaos in order to shepherd our way to change. If it’s true that a nation gets the government it deserves, I believe it is also true that We the People are shaping the government we desire with truth, values and heart work: a democracy of the people, by the people, for the people.Question: What truths and values do you represent that will help heal our democracy? And thank you for listening.You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Roseau, Capital of Dominica, Lesser Antilles!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Many people are under the impression that the Hero’s Journey made famous by Joseph Campbell is about an external journey to vanquish foes and return with some Truth.In truth, the real journey is an internal one. The Hero is called to a task that is not at the surface of her being; rather, the task requires her to do what I have called for some 30 years now an “archeological dig on oneself.” It’s serious stuff. No wonder the Hero resists.We think we can remain emotionally safe by hiding our vulnerability. The problem is that as long as we resist the call (and I know well how I resisted the call to leave behind my Voiceless Victim self) we will never be able to live our Truth, never experience our Essence.Yes, the Hero goes out on a quest; but that external journey is just the stage on which the story is played. Saying Yes! to the Hero’s Journey begins the inner journey work, the transformation that allows us to move out of our fear to courage, from being stuck in our old identity to living alive and awake, realizing our true potential, fulfilling our destiny, or experiencing our longed-for heart’s desire.Story Prompt: What are you finally ready to trade by saying Yes! to walking the Hero’s Journey? Write that story! And tell it out loud! And, if you could use a hand with your transformation work, I'm here at Quarter Moon Story Arts!   Contact me.    You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Salta, Argentina!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.I have decades of story prompt exercises to help my clients clarify their ideas, create their origin story, amplify their message, and connect with their audience in a way that authentically influences them to take desired action. In my experience practicing with fewer words focuses the core message. From there we can expand to a longer story.Practical Tip: Recall something that brought you satisfaction or contentment today. Share a glimpse of your satisfaction or contentment in a “9 Word Telegram.” 3 lines. 3 words on each line. First line is the beginning of your story. Second line is the middle of your story. Third line is the resolution or conclusion. For example:Day breaks coldTrekking forested hillsWon't back down!ORDemocracy under assaultMillions defy lawlessnessRallied nation rebornORFall down 7Get up 8Persevere through hardship CTA: If you’re ready (or getting ready to be ready) to work together to make your written or spoken word clear, concise and cogent please feel welcome to reach out to me at Quarter Moon Story Arts for your free Story Start-up Session.  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in  Kokomo, Indiana!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Each year at this time my Camino de Santiago memories come back to life as I retrace my pilgrimage steps through the pages of my journal. Why this annual ritual? It’s a witness to my life: how I lived life before Camino and living it after Camino.In truth I want to relive the memories like strolling down a cobblestone village street, entering a small bar for a glass of vino tinto, and savoring it outside with a view of the Meseta, the vast plains I traversed. I recall an elderly gentleman joining me, finding peace in the Meseta's tranquility. After returning my glass the bar owner proudly displayed a yellowed article: the Tempranillo he served me had earned recognition in The Wine Enthusiast. He was so proud of what he had produced in his vineyards.I revisit these experiences because they’ve become a guide emphasizing the wisdom of looking back when unsure of the way forward. Looking back at where you’ve been can reveal the future of where you should go.Question: How do you reflect on the past to navigate your future? And, if you could use a guide what’s your Project? How can I help?You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malasia!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Retracing my Camino de Santiago pilgrimage footsteps in my journal and photos as I’ve been doing since 17th September reminds me how fully alive I felt then. 5 weeks - 500 miles walking the Way - all across Spain.Yes, there were aches and pains, cold and rain; there were crowded dorms that smelled like wet dogs; there were doubts, mistakes, and getting lost.And yet, and yet, all those days that came and went were the days I was living then. I was a pilgrim. The way forward beckoned me. I want to be a pilgrim again and live my life out loud.Story Prompt: What about you? What will it take to move toward the Way that beckons you? Write that story! And tell it out loud! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.