Letter From A Pumpkin

October 28, 2013 — 10 Comments

The wisdom of trees has long been written about.  You can find this wisdom in the works of the literary trifecta of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Mary Oliver and John Muir — works that leave us loftily moved about life and leadership.

Wisdom directly from a tree is just as illuminating.

Life & Leadership Wisdom from a Tree

Life & Leadership Wisdom in Nature

These words are from “Advice from a Tree” written by Writer-Artist-Imagineer, Ilan Shamir.

Inspired, I took my pen (that is, keyboard) to create an homage to Ilan Shamir and to a well-loved large squash — because nature, being abundant, doesn’t restrict wisdom to trees.

A Pumpkin’s Message

Dearest Friend,

Sometimes there is a mask carved on our outsides, put there for protection.  I say to you: “Shine brightly through that mask.”

Be the Authentic You!

Let Your Inner Flame Glow!
Image courtesy of hin255 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Be the authentic you and #leadfromwithin — be willing to lead not just yourself, but others, too.

Be the coach that carries someone to their next opportunity or even to their happily ever after.

You can be the magic!

Be The Vehicle For Someone’s Dreams
From http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbybatchelder (Flickr Creative Common License)

Fairy godmothers exist. They are here to help you. Just ask.

Sometimes you may feel that the magic has forsaken you.  Know that you can get it back.  There is nothing like sitting in the field basking in the sun with your fellow pumpkins — being mindful of the day, having a #spiritchat together and looking into the heart to ask #therightquestions.

Mindfulness Out in Nature

Being Mindful: You and Your Compatriots
Image courtesy of digidreamgrafix at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Such as: What are you harvesting from life?  Are you giving back? How are you nurturing the next crop of pumpkins?

In life, don’t play small.  Become as big as you can be.  Keep growing!  #Breaktheframe.

Know that every day is Thanksgiving.  Remember, it doesn’t hurt to be kind and sweet as pie.

Gratitude & Kindness - Every Day.

Be Grateful & Kind – Every Day.
Image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Please don’t worry about being round or orange and not as majestic as the trees.

You and your uniqueness are needed in this world!

Rejoice in Being You!
From http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs/ (Flickr Creative Commons License)

#TakeThisMoment to realize that you are uniquely you and you are so very needed in this world. 

Sincerely,

Jackie-o’-lantern (a.k.a Jackie Yun)

 

Final Words From Me With A Hope to Hear from You!

After writing “Letter from a Pumpkin”, I discovered that Ilan Shamir had written a series of “Advice from …”, including “Advice from a Pumpkin” covering these 5 pithy points:

  • Give thanks for life’s bounty
  • Be well-rounded
  • Have a thick skin
  • Be outstanding in your field
  • Think big!

Pumpkins are inspirational, aren’t they? And so are these precious TwitterFriends. I’m sure you caught their influence in my homage!

  • Lolly Daskal (@LollyDaskal): Founder of #leadfromwithin Twitterchat on Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET, who is “dedicated to bringing Heart Based Leadership to organizations and individuals.”
  • Kumud Ajmani (@AjmaniK): Host of #SpiritChat on Sundays at 9:00 am ET, who gathers everyone together to have “conversations about spirituality, freedom, meditation, silence, stillness and the meaning and purpose of life.”
  • Mark Sturgell (@pdncoach): Author of the post, The Right Questions, and a “Go-giver business coach helping people with dreams become Leaders with Purpose and Vision.”
  • Alli Polin (@AlliPolin): Founder of “break the frame”, who asks are we “Ready to Make the Leap?”
  • And Stan Stewart (@muz4now), who via his tweet introduced me to the work of Ilan Shamir.  Stan has a certain poetic resonance himself and is also an improviser and independent musician who “puts his heart into the moment”.

And now over to you…

Who or what inspires you? What is your advice for life and leadership? Please do tell in the comments.

Inspiration Comes From Many Sources

Tell Me, What Inspires You?
Image courtesy of -Marcus- at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

10 responses to Letter From A Pumpkin

  1. Inspiring post! I love this wonderful advice from a pumpkin. My contribution…All pumpkins are beautiful, regardless of size or color. With the right care and carving, their light will shine through.

    • Hello Joanne,

      TLC (tender loving care and in this case, “tender loving carving”, too!) brings much to fruition and as this quote from Daniel Webster says “When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization.”.

      Thank you for your spot-on advice and taking the time to comment and to retweet!

      Jackie

  2. Fun, creative, and inspiring post, Jackie! I love the part of allowing your authentic self to shine through the mask. People who transcend external expectations to honor their inner whispers inspire me. I count you as one of those!

    • Hello Christy,

      You and I are “two peas in a pod” or perhaps in keeping with this post: “two pumpkins on a vine”! 🙂

      It’s not easy to hear who we are. Sitting in the stillness, like pumpkins do in the field, could open up that channel from our minds to our core.

      Just read an approach (quite interesting) in this article tweeted by @DorleeM: The One Question That Is Shaping Your Entire Life.

      Gratitude to you for visiting me here and for sharing my post with others!

      Jackie

  3. Fabulous post, Jackie! Thank you! I am delighting in the magic of the world we live in! There really is joy and magic and delight ….everywhere! All I have to do is look, be aware and, voila – there it is for me to relish and enjoy!

    • Hello Joan,

      Magic, joy and delight!

      We tend to know there’s an abundance of these three qualities during the holidays.

      But to be on the lookout for magic, joy and delight — every day — well, that can turn our every day lives into a beautiful fairy tale.

      Appreciate your insights! Thank you for commenting!!

      Jackie

  4. Jackie,
    Your posts are like the pumpkin vine – we never know where they’ll spread, or when they’ll produce fruit (always thought it was a vegetable).

    It’s a pretty good analogy for kindness, too. An act of kindness often sows seeds – many of which we may never see.

    I love that after you had written your Letter from a Pumpkin, you discovered Advice from a Pumpkin.The connection of great thoughts.

    Finally, this time of year, my thoughts wind back to one crisp October. We had a full, harvest moon, which was glistening off a field of pumpkins that would rival Charlie Brown’s pumpkin patch. Although I didn’t have a camera, I am able to vividly recall that magical sight. As you say, above, “Magic, joy and delight!” Just like this post. 🙂

    • Marianna,

      “I’ve never seen a moon in the sky that, if it didn’t take my breath away, at least misplaced it for a moment.” ~ per Colin Farrell

      Sounds like you and Colin agree on the magic of the moon! And so do I.

      Speaking of kindness, please know that I appreciate yours. I love our interactions here on my blog, Twitter and in real life!

      Here’s to #SummitFriends!!
      Jackie

  5. Hi Jackie,
    What a fruitful message (is ‘pumpkin a fruit? If so, I made a punny 🙂

    Humor aside, I really liked the ‘shine brightly through that mask’ suggestion! Yes – sometimes we just need that permission to ‘shine’ even amid our own fears and self-protective layers! Our light will burst through available crevices and cracks!

    I also loved: “Please don’t worry about being round or orange and not as majestic as the trees. You and your uniqueness are needed in this world!”

    Many times we feel like we are not only ‘one-of-the-crowd,’ but that we are ‘less-than,’ and you reminded us all that we ALL have purpose!

    Warmly,
    Jacqui (Your loyal #SummitFriend!)

    • Hello Jacqui,

      You did make a punny! According to the Mayo Clinic, pumpkins (along with avocado, beans, peapods, corn kernels, cucumbers, grains, nuts, olives peppers, pumpkin, squash, sunflower seeds and tomatoes) are technically fruits!

      Pumpkins are not only inspirational, they are educational.

      Love connecting with you and your sparkling humor. So heart-touching to have you as a #SummitFriend.

      xoxo,
      Jackie

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