I have returned once again to Our Treehouse, and it is always good to be back home. Reddogg and Pan are well, and did a great job “holding down the fort” as I always tell them whenever I leave, even for a short time. Grandmother Tree stands tall and majestic as she continues her role as guardian. And nothing has really changed, yet in many ways everything has changed.

This past Thursday I traveled up into North Carolina for yet another retreat. Can you believe it? Two retreats back to back, one on the Pacific coast, the other near the Atlantic. I drove this time, up through part of the Great Smoky Mountains to Waynesville, North Carolina to stay the night in the home of my friend, Marcy. Then Friday afternoon we traveled to Boone, North Carolina to the Art of Living Retreat Center, once again driving through miles and miles of mountains. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous as we drove over winding roads bordered by dense forests of Tall Beings on both sides. Many of the trees still had their Fall colorful foliage, and the forest floor was covered with orange, red, and yellow leaves. At times the thick, white mist, or the “smoke”, rising up through the Tall Beings was immense; tall and wide, covering the mountains. I thought of my angel retreat and realized I had brought my two retreats together, the Angels’ majestic forms covering the huge mountain terrain.

We saw several large elk while we traveled through the Smokies, especially when we stopped at an old millstone location, the original building and millstones still used for grinding corn for the locals for corn meal. I was told it makes the best cornbread!

The topic for my retreat was Toltec teachings, a philosophy for life that I resonates deep within my being. Teachings are found within the classic book, THE FOUR AGREEMENTS. Don Miguel Ruiz wrote this book which was published back in 1997 and became a New York Times bestseller. He and his family have been teaching Toltec beliefs for decades. Two of his sons, Don Miguel, Jr. and Don Jose, have been sharing their Toltec family traditions for many years. Both of these men lead my retreat this past weekend, from Friday evening till Sunday afternoon. They too have written their own books, sharing their own thoughts and wisdom. All weekend I was the student, the enthralled listener. I did not even take notes because I simply wanted to be a sponge, soaking up all that was said from two authentic hearts, two men who allowed themselves to be vulnerable to help the other one hundred and twenty hearts in the room. And I knew I could always refer to any of their published books.

Here are the four agreements, and though they are not easy, I think they are filled with integrity and truth.

1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Do not take anything personal.
3. Do not assume anything about another person.
4. Always do the best you can.

The Ruiz men now have a fifth agreement, too: Be skeptical, but really learn to listen. This includes not only what you hear other people say, but what you hear in your own mind.

I picked up all kinds of gold nuggets of wisdom. Too many to list as it would turn into a book! But I’ve been thinking a lot about the thoughts that were shared with me. I’ve been picking up sticks in my yard and with each stick I was asking myself questions like: How much am I willing to open my mind everyday to new thoughts? How much do I allow old thoughts and beliefs to control my mind? Do these thoughts really serve me in my life? How much do I really love myself? This question is very important because I have known for quite awhile that I can only give unconditional love to others if I have it within me.

I met so many new friends. Those of you that know me well understand this happens wherever I go. I think being a hospice nurse for so long and meeting new people all the time helps me be comfortable in new experiences, which also helps me embrace new teachings, to relax and listen because I WANT to grow. And that is why I say above that in many ways everything has changed, because I am really not quite the same person I was before I left for this retreat. I have grown, and I want to practice opening my mind, changing my mind, amd learning to really listen with respect. Everyday.

c   Love, Joan