News + Events
Do you want to start the month of August off feeling inspired? Below are seven quotes rooted in the notions of yoga, creativity, and leadership – the core tenets of TSF’s signature program, Tranquil Teens. Read the quotes at the beginning of each day of this new week and choose one to guide your intention for that day.
“But if you have nothing at all to create, then perhaps you create yourself.” – Carl Jung
“I did not come to yoga to stretch. I came to live.” – Maya Breuer
“I change myself, I change the world.” – Gloria Anzaldua
“Our intention creates our reality.” – Wayne Dyer
“I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.” – Madonna
“We need to remember that we are all created creative.” – Maya Angelou
“The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach
This summer, we had a small event for new friends of Tranquil Space Foundation. This was the video we used to introduce us to them. Enjoy!
When you were a kid, summer was the best thing to happen to you all year. As the school year slowed to its last few days, momentum would build until at last, that final bus ride home ended with a seemingly endless number of endless days to spend just as you pleased, without a care in the world. That you would eventually have to return to school in a matter of weeks was irrelevant, and even more so, forgotten. Days were filled with exploration, creativity, and the occasional bout of boredom, but nevertheless, each day was its own adventure. Unfortunately, with age comes responsibility, and hopefully, also employment, and those long, lazy days of summer are increasingly spent in much the same way as a day in any other season. While it’s unlikely that many of us can leave our cares behind for 8 to 9 weeks at a time, we can make the most of the time we do have to relax and to take up new adventures. Whether it’s a long weekend spent at home or a few weeks at a luxurious escape, allow yourself to be as present in the moment as you would have been as a child. If you spent all your time building a sandcastle thinking about how the tide would eventually wash it away, why would you bother? Because it’s fun in the moment, and what may happen tomorrow doesn’t matter right now. Your email, voice mail, and online “status” will be there later. Dive in, kick back, let go, and when you start begging yourself for “just five more minutes,” say yes.
Last week, Tranquil Space Foundation volunteers lead our signature program, Tranquil Teens: Stretch Yourself to a fantastic group of young women leaders!
The group was Running Start – which inspires young women and girls to run for political office. The girls attending our workshop were in town for Running Start’s Young Women’s Political Leadership Retreat. The 50 amazing retreat attendants were chosen from a huge pool of accomplished young leaders. Watch this video about their retreat program from 2008.
Leading the girls through yoga poses, their thoughts on leadership, and inner creativity exercises, the participant’s energy noticeably relaxed. The Running Start girls are incredibly ambitious at an early age, so this Tranquil Teens workshop helped them to tune into their inner voices and just *breathe*.
A sampling of thoughts from their evaluations…
“You all were phenomenal! i came dreading the yoga and left wishing that i could do it every day.”
“Thank you for opening my eyes. you might have brought the ‘me’ i lost back.”
“The very beginning was my favorite because it allowed me to relax and let all the hype and tension from the day dissipate.”
Learn more about Running Start and the fabulous things they are doing to bring more young women to politics.
If you know of a group of girls or a partner that would benefit from a Tranquil Teens workshop, please contact us!
One of Tranquil Space Foundation’s 2009 grantees proves that planting a seed can lead to amazing results.
Nest is a nonprofit with a goal to support women artists and artisans in the developing world by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses. It does this in a way that is near and dear to TSF: the microgrant. Just like our organization makes small grants to organizations aligned with our causes, Nest has shown the power of focused micro-credit loans. The old adage “every little bit helps” has never been so true.
The targeted efforts of Nest focus on harnassing the creativity of women artisans to allow them to improve the lives of themselves and their families in developing countries. The results speak for themselves. Learn more about Nest at buildanest.com.
“Sometimes, certain of God’s blessings arrive by shattering all of the windows.”
– Paulo Coelho
When I first read this quote not too long ago, it immediately resonated with me. What a beautiful, yet simple, way to articulate an experience so many of us have had. Who among us can’t recall at least one moment when we were convinced that the world was ending, that a great catastrophe had befallen us from which we would surely never recover. Over time, we came to view that challenging time as a “blessing in disguise.” Without a doubt, we would never have opted to not get the job, have our soulmate break up with us, fail to gain admission or underestimate our competition. With time comes insight, as well as alternate paths, which we follow and find success, fulfillment, and – dare we admit – even joy. Not only does the world continue to spin, but we find that we are actually grateful for the disappointment. We wouldn’t be who we are if we had been granted our once fundamental and fervent wish – hadn’t found that we could in fact, endure through moments of pain.
These days, many of us are being pushed to our edge, and are searching for ways to persist through challenges and disappointments for ourselves and our loved ones that we may have thought we’d never experience in our lifetimes. While as we all know, nothing is permanent and “this too shall pass,” ask yourself if there is opportunity here to create something positive. Step carefully over the glass, but don’t miss this rare chance to consider the view through the window. You may find that you like what you see.
This week Tranquil Space Foundation volunteers led our signature program: TranquilTeens: Stretch Yourself to a group of knowledgeable and enthusiastic girls at the Time Dollar Youth Court.
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![decorating their journals](http://s649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/anaottman/?action=view¤t=DSCF0529.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/anaottman/DSCF0529.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>)
![one of the girls writing down her personal goal](http://s649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/anaottman/?action=view¤t=DSCF0532.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/anaottman/DSCF0532.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>)
Some of the comments from the girls included:
My favorite part of the class was the breathing because I began to feel calm.
I love everything!
I liked the end of the class because the poem read was inspirational.
The space where you work is where you spend so many precious hours of your day… why not make it a fun reflection of you?
As a self-employed person who works from home, I have the privilege of making my work space look however I want it to look. But even when I worked in an office – whether it was an actual office, with a door and everything (what a treat!) or a drab grey cube in cubicle nation – I always had the best dressed office on the block, the kind of place where my colleagues wanted to hang out. One time, for a brief while, I had an office that actually was a converted supply closet! But I made it look great. I just found that having a welcoming, personalized, yet still professional space made my creative juices flow and made me feel good about being at work. Some of the personal touches I’ve added to my work space over the years include:
- Small desk lamp with a red shade – casts a slightly pink glow that offsets the awful overhead lights
- Art posters – the Philips Collection used to sell really cheap posters from their long-past exhibitions
- Japanese tea pot w/ four matching cups and wood place mat – got it on sale at Urban Outfitters. Lots of folks stopped by for tea!
- Castoff area rug from an old apartment that I wasn’t using anymore – made those industrial grey carpets look livelier!
- A couple of important personal photographs – too many photos looks junky and unprofessional, but a couple of photos in nice (possibly matching) frames looks great and personalized
- One of those miniature “zen gardens” that they sell at book stores, with the rake and the sand
- A bright blue ottoman – $10 on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond!
- Colorful paper flowers, which I made myself – those bright blue, green, purple, and polka dotted petals never die
- Inspirational books – like quote books, or books w/ questions in them. Right now I’m looking at a book called “Ever Wonder.” Good for a creativity break!
I also love those colorful, pretty file folders that they are selling these days at office supply stores, color coordinated paper clips and binder clips, and all sorts of other fun and funky office supplies.
Maybe this week you could bring one creative thing into your office. If you can’t figure out what to bring, you can also check out “cubicle decoration” tips online – type it into your search engine, and you’ll find thousands of sources of inspiration!
photo: (cc) WorkSpace
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. – Oprah Winfrey
Who doesn’t like to celebrate? I sometimes chuckle thinking about the fun traditions we create just to have a chance to celebrate. Having a December birthday, I’ve always advocated for celebrating your ½ birthday. And with Mother’s Day around the corner, I have been crafting up a storm this week getting gifts together for all my moms.
Celebrations I have already participated in this week include:
- An Artists Reception/opening of a new Exhibition
- A surprise birthday celebration for a co-worker
- Cinqo de Mayo
- A baby shower for a dear friend
- A lunch celebrating (a few weeks late) Administrative Professionals Day
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Teacher Appreciation Week
I love the chance to celebrate all of these things and I find days without something to rejoice in rather mundane. What if we find ways to celebrate every day? Here’s some of my ideas– please share your ideas for new ways to praise and celebrate life!
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Practice Yoga to celebrate just about anything. Its DC Yoga Week! (Free yoga – who doesn’t want to celebrate that?!)
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Pick up take out for dinner. Serve on the good china with a candle glowing and celebrate a Tuesday.
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Bring sun flowers to a friend to celebrate friendship.
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Plant seeds/flowers/tree to celebrate spring.
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Play a CD/song from your past to remember a specific time in your life and celebrate how far you have come.
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Pick and eat some fresh strawberries to celebrate National Strawberry Month (May).
image (cc) party
LUNAFEST DC played host to over 60 film buffs, supporting TSF while munching on popcorn and movie candy.
Check out some of the fun and the opening remarks by TSF Board President Kimberly Wilson and LUNAFEST DC chair Rachel Nuzum:
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It’s easy to forget to slow down amid the grind of daily life. Taking a break from your To Do List and daily routines can be a relaxing relief and reminder of what’s truly important to you. Following your creative paths could help you find it.
For the last few weeks, I’ve felt that I’ve had no time–for yoga, for my hobby of drawing, for reading, for sleeping–lots of things one should not feel the need to note in a daily planner. So, I scheduled a day off today, determined to use it to get my life back on track–a tall order, I suppose, but one I plan on doing every so often.
I’d had three drawings in my head for the last three weeks that I finally finished late Tuesday night. I wouldn’t have noticed the time if it weren’t for my body’s growing complaints. Most of my creations are completed after midnight, when my hand refuses to continue holding markers. This, I realize, is the key to my new life plan.
Some of my friends tell me that they wished they were creative. They have no hobbies, they say, but I don’t believe them. Some are creative cooks or gardeners. Some are great writers and musicians. The other day at work in a strategic planning exercise, we were asked to create and test paper planes. Everyone perked up at the sight of construction paper, glue, and scissors.
Creative endeavors may unleash or reveal your true passion, and can lead to a world of opportunities. Think of this week’s LunaFest, a fantastic event showcasing films that were once a gleam in an artist’s mind. These filmmakers accomplished their projects through a determination, dedication, and spirit that’s in all of us. Schedule time to nurture your creativity and see what happens.
While my life transformation will likely not be completed today, a trip to the art supply store may be in order.
We’re in the final few days before LUNAFEST DC… we hope to see everyone there Thursday night! If you haven’t purchased tickets yet, you can still get them anytime online here.
We have some exciting announcements about our newest grantees, so please join us Thursday night at 7pm for an evening of inspiration and film!
Need more info on the what/where/when? Check out our LUNAFEST DC page!