so clever!!

be yourself

I had dinner last night with the guys who organise the annual meditation conference in Melbourne. They do a fantastic job and this year's event had a line up of inspiring speakers and some great workshops. I was invited along last night to brainstorm about next year's event which was flattering...and fun. It's not often that I get to go out to dinner with four men!

Just as we were leaving, Matt from Melbourne Meditation Centre showed me a poem called 'Be Yourself' which is a lighthearted little piece about just being you.

Be Yourself
You must learn that you cannot be loved by all people
You can be the finest apple in the world - ripe, juicy, sweet,
succulent - and offer yourself to all.
But you must remember that there will be people who do not like apples.

You must understand that if you are the world's finest apple, and
someone you love does not like apples, you have the choice of becoming a banana.
But you must be warned that if you choose to become a banana
you will be a second-rate banana.
But you can always be the finest apple.

You must also realise that if you choose to be a second-rate banana.
There will be people who do not like bananas.
Furthermore,
You can spend your life trying to become the best banana -
which is impossible if you are an apple
- or you can seek again to be the finest apple.

(Unknown)

good clean fun

gertrude st projection festival

Lucy at Design Files (who is always across all of the cool creative stuff going on around town) posted about the Gertrude St Projection Festival last week. She has some great photos on her blog so take a look.

We went on Friday night and it was fantastic.
As suggested by Lucy and recommended by Shelley, we ate first at Ladro who have the best wood fired pizzas I've eaten (try the Puttanesca...it's delicious). We couldn't book a table so took a chance and just turned up which was great because they squeezed us into a little spot in the window which very cosy but we like that.

With a glass of red each, we had front row seats to the brilliant work that lit up The Builders Arms. Very clever.

It's finished for this year unfortunately but make a note in your diary for next year's show.

the summer day by mary oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

by Mary Oliver