March’s Featured Author is Joan C. King. Dr. King's Cellular Wisdom Series began as a seed of an idea when she gave herself permission to let go of the known and step out into the unknown. That "yes" - that year's sabbatical from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston - brought forth her spot of grace and self-discovery. It set a new framework of purpose upon which she would give forth the gift that only she could give to others: her passion for helping others evoke their own greatness.
While reading Joan’s manuscript pages of her forthcoming title, Business Wisdom at Work: A Life on Purpose, Joan mentioned the book, Spot of Grace: Remarkable Stories of How You Do Make a Difference by Dawna Markova. As I read the introduction of the book, I thought of my relationship with Joan and my witnessing her relationships with others . . . and how she, too, must have had a grandmother who told her the story of how we do matter and that we do make a difference, because she has made it her business to help others recognize this within themselves.
Here is an excerpt from that Introduction:
My grandmother began to stroke my forehead very slowly, the signal that a story was on its way. Her stories always made a silken tent for the two of us to crawl into.
"Imagine, my darling, that back in the very beginning of everything, there was an immense crystal bowl floating in the dark velvet sky. Imagine it was glowing because it was made of light."
I held my breath until she continued.
"We don’t know how the bowl got there or how long it stayed. But we do know that one day there was a cracking, crashing sound that was almost as big as the sky. The bowl shattered into a million, billion, trillion different seeds of light. They flew everywhere, piercing everything alive in the world. From that moment on, each living being has had, hidden in its heart, one of those tiny seeds of light."
She bent over and looked right into me with her Coca-Cola brown eyes. She whispered as if she were telling me great secrets.
"One such seed is inside of you, and one is inside of me. I call it the spot of grace. Every one of us, whether we know it or not, is supposed to find that special light. Then we are meant to grow it and shine it into the darkness of the world, helping others find their light. When everyone does, you see, the bowl will be made whole again."
"How come nobody talks about their spot of grace, Grandma?"
She leaned over and placed her lips against my ear. "Most people don’t know about the bowl or that little seed of light because they don’t have a grandma like you do. So when you grow up, you job will be to help them find it. Maybe you’ll tell them this story. And when you do, your spot of grace will glow even brighter."
That story has carried me forward for more than six decades. It turned every wound and tragedy of my life into a doorway. Even now, as I reach toward you, dear reader, I still think of the spot of grace as a tiny seed of light, a luminosity that results from bringing the gift that only you can bring to the rest of the human community. This gift of the soul is what lights you up and gives your life meaning. It is what helps you know who you truly are and feel as if you belong, as if you don’t want to hold anything back or in. When your days are rooted in this place, you stop caring about whether you have enough or are enough. Doubt gives way to wonder. You know that you do matter, and even more, you know that the world matters to you. It is this, remarkably, that allows you to make a difference.
Whether you are a woman discovering the landscapes of your inner life of wisdom through body, mind, and spirit (Cellular Wisdom for Women) or an entrepreneur launching your first business (Business Wisdom at Work: A Life on Purpose - Publication Spring 2011) or looking for foundational tools for relationships (Cellular Wisdom for Relationships), you will discover the authenticity of this woman’s life and wisdom through a life lived in a willingness to walk through the doorways of change (The Code of Authentic Living). I believe you will find a new friend, a teacher, a coach, and a soul who lights up to simply be of service and help you evoke your own greatness. I know I did.
I hope you enjoy the Cellular Wisdom Series by Joan C. King--a gifted and extraordinary woman I have the great privilege of knowing.
Our thanks to Dawna Markova for the gift of Spot of Grace: Remarkable Stories of How You Do Make a Difference --New World Library (February 11, 2008) www.spotofgrace.com
Click here for the
Author's additional Commentary. >
Click the bannerto below to listen to Dr. Pat's Interview. >
|
