jenny top 8 KAUAI
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE &
jenny’s top 8 no. 12 KAUAI!
Swimming 2 by Pegge Hopper
Hello from Kauai. This week you get to choose your own adventure. What do you need this week? Let’s get started.
door no. one
GENTLENESS
I have been here before, in April to be exact. Except this time I vowed to do it differently. I vowed to actually take my own advice, and be gentle with the creative process. I don’t think I’m gentle by nature, maybe some people are, but I am not one of them. I work so hard to be soft, but I am more of a Kandinsky painting then a Monet. I arrived on Kauai on Tuesday. I have come back to write. I have since remembered that I only ever had two goals for this book, to be as honest as I know how to be, and to finish it. Maybe it’s a piece of shit or maybe only I like it sometimes, but that’s not the point. The point is that I’m writing it to save my life, that’s the point.
So here’s what I did. Well. First I remembered about the intention. Second, I arrived at the little studio I stay in and I said, okay psyche see what’s going to happen this week, we are going to be writing about something hard, but while you adjust to that idea, let’s go have some fun and we can start tomorrow. There was no, you sepnt xyz on that ticket, you are a failure if it isn’t done by xyz. I have tried that in all areas of my life and let me tell you that experiment has actually never worked out that well; it left me feeling not good enough and out of alignment with my self and the universe, and because that’s where the creative force lives, FRUSTRATED and not that productive!
And guess what? I woke up my first morning with the roosters and I got to work, and my defensive structure let me go to difficult scary places because it trusted me more!! I could relax, because I wasn’t waiting for someone to attack me (ME), and when I am relaxed I am in more flow.
When did we all buy into the lie that we would only get stuff done if we treated ourselves like little bullys?
So, do you need any gentleness this week? Where? Are you being hard on yourself when you actually need your tenderness? Just asking.
door no. two
HONESTY
I love working as a creative coach. I love talking with anyone creating anything, about their process, ideas, fears, patterns, daily practices, ego, everything! I love that I am allowed access to such beauty, to witness the actual immaterial soul energy made material. So let me tell you a secret… the key code to every closed door in the creative process is HONESTY. Now we can’t always be honest alone because we get all kinds a tangled up in our own psyches, but we can always start.
When I am staring at a computer screen and I have no idea what words to type first I will often write exactly how I’m feeling and go from there. Honesty, like all things, is a muscle that we must exercise to make it strong. I am talking about self honesty TBC. I’m not talking about telling Barbara at work that you think her shoes suck.
And why do we all think that honesty is only “bad things” about ourselves and our lives? It is also honest to acknowledge everything in your life that lights you up.
So. Do you need to do some Honesty Push Ups with yourself this week?
Write down 10 HONEST THINGS. You got more? Keep going! Don’t let me hold you back.
door no. three
PRAYER
My friend Glenn recently recommended I read the book Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood. It’s a beautiful book about loss and the past, and how we choose to move forward. A woman who is not a particularly god driven woman moves into a convent in rural Australia. There is a part about prayer that stayed with me. The head nun, if that’s what they’re called, says. and I paraphrase 100%, Prayer is not a direct telephone line to God to order your wishes, but a focused attention, a way to change our neural pathways by singular focused attention. I liked this. Maybe some days I believe that something greater than myself can hear me, but all days I believe in neuroscience.
I found this prayer this morning. I wrote it in the year after my mother died. I have been writing an essay about that year and I am reminded of how every day was a search for my shape in the world without her.
Do you want to write your own prayer this week? Then write it. Try.
GOOD MORNING PRAYER
Good morning soul. Please stay in my body today and lead the way. I want you to be in charge today because I think you are so smart!
Good morning neocortex. Thank you for telling me what you want and what you’re afraid of. Soul is going to take care of us today. I promise!
Good morning body. You are doing such a good job. Thank you for always supporting my life journey, my heart, my intuition, my light, and my energy. You are a powerhouse! I love you so much!
Good morning Bunny Ducks. I love you so so much! I think you are a gift to this world. Everything I do is for you. You are bright and lovable and shiny. I am so proud of you Always!
Good morning mom. I love you. Thank you for my wisdom, my powers, and my beautiful life.
Good morning Dad. I love you. Thank you for my joy and play and my heart.
Good morning grief. You are real and I know that if I follow you you will take me to the base of a brand new rainbow. I see how powerful and brilliant you are. You are doing a really good job at a very hard job.
Good morning intuition. I will do my best to listen to you today and I will tell you when I’m not ready to take action. I hear you and sometimes I’m not quite ready. I’m not ignoring you.
Good morning Angels and guides of blessings and light! I accept and desire your help. Please help me to trust in your nurturing, care and support. Please show yourself in my life today. Please show off today!
Good morning dreams. I know you are just waiting for me to enter.
Good morning Universe. I love you so much. Thank you for the daily blessings and miracles and magic and love and constant support.
Good morning Jenny. I’m so happy I get to spend my whole life with you. You are my favorite person I’ve ever met.
Universe. Please guide me today to bring more love into my life and the lives of everyone I encounter. Please help me to help people love themselves, believe in themselves, open their hearts and find their purpose. When we find our heart purpose we can be of service to the world.
I approve of myself. I love myself. I am safe now. I am powerful. I am willing to change. I am willing to let go with love and ease that which no longer serves my highest good.
Thank you for my blessings. I love you!
door no. four
FUN
Jenny Top 8 no. 12 KAUAI!
The Nanea Coffee Truck on the North Shore. This is my absolute favorite coffee spot on the island. Just ordering is a feast for the senses; say hello to a little labradorite Buddha, pick out a sticker, get a coffee! Grab The Doreen Virtue original Angel card deck that used to belong to the owners grandmother, and unwind among plants, and sometimes a very very cute dog. #nanealovesyou @nanea_coffee
The art of Darcy Bartoletti!!!! Go to website. You will see exactly what I am talking about. Los Angeles native making gorgeous and energized work on Kauai. This work, Holo Holo, Meditation Composition #3 is part of my favorite series yet. Pay attention. You’ll thank me later. @darcybartolettistudi
The Princeville Botanical Garden and Chocolate Tour. Once a year I come to Kauai with one of my closest friends. I love to curate the week for her, and we love plants. This tour is my tops on The Garden Isle. It’s complete with fruit, honey and chocolate tastings. A perfect morning before lunch and the beach!!
Farmers Markets. Waipa Tuesday’s 2-5. A farmer’s market with the stunning Makaleha Mountains showing off, and local food, crafts, and music. I mean, you know what a farmer’s market is! Anaina Hou Community Park Kilauea Saturday’s 9-12. I like to pop over to this one and see what @grizwarekauai is up to on the bracelet and front!
Aloha Ola Farms Fresh Fruit Frosty’s and Ginger Tumeric Lemonade. I’m embarrassed to tell you how many quarts of juice I can drink from this place. I LOVE IT! @alohaolafarms
Sister Sister My friend Morgan has the absolute sweetest store in Koloa. Some of my favorite buys include a pair of Hunter green Donni sweatpants and a very pretty Gunes Swim beach tote. You can also stock up on my favorite perfume Bo by LIis! Perfect spot for bikinis and beach dinners. And then get a coffee in the courtyard @javakai @sistersisterkauai
The Kauai Hindu Monastery and Rudraksha Forest. If I had to choose one it would be this. My friend Prema Love told me about the magic of this place before my first trip to Kauai. I have never come to the island and not come here. I am devoted to Ganesha. Someone said once that Ganesha has a real grandmother energy and that resonated with me; the Ganesha here is strong. Sometimes they give tours to the temple, and the Ganesha on the path to the temple might be my favorite; they are all my favorite. I won’t ruin the beauty and magic of this place with so many words. Be sure to drive to the nearby Rudraksha Forest to see Hanuman, and make an offering to the god of courage and self-discipline.
LOLO on Kauai I’m a sucker for an independent designer on an island. I could spend hours, and I have, at this shop searching for the perfect pieces. Everything is one size and made of the softest cotton. I am currently over the moon about the boxer type shorts and have only worn those for three days straight, and then paired with her floral pattern tank top!! I felt proud as can be of this outfit!!
