Warm greetings, dear Friend!
Wherever you are in the world,
and wherever you are in your journey,
may you be well and happy. 🙏🏻

In last December’s newsletter, I mentioned that I’d like us to share “tools” / (spiritual) practices with each other this year that help us to access JOY (my word/theme for 2025).

In January, I wrote about SILENCE.
In February, I wrote about SPACE.
In March, I wrote about SIMPLICITY.
In April, I wrote about BELONGING.
In May, I wrote about SERVICE.
In September, I wrote about MOVEMENT and BREATH.

This month, the tool/practice that I’d like to share with you is PATIENCE.

I offer the following thoughts and feelings in the hope, as always, that they will be helpful to you and/or to someone you love.

Full disclosure: I’m a “recovering” perfectionist, so I’m often plagued by thoughts and feelings of not-enoughness. I do my best to hide this, of course – and, thanks to some recent and very challenging moments in my life, I’ve come to realize that impatience has been the cause of a lot of pain both to me and to some of those I love. (Having to be perfect at something – ANYthing – even when doing it for the very first time – is a recipe for anger and frustration!)

And, I’m happy to report that a few practices (walking meditation, daily reading of inspiring books, and daily journaling), combined with a renewed commitment to being 100% accountable for my actions, are helping me to “turn the tide” and find inner peace. 

The Song for the Soul (chant) that was borne out of this ongoing process is called “Deeper“. The words reference the Four Immeasurables of Buddhism – Loving Kindness, Joy, Compassion and Equanimity or Impartiality – and the title references the means by which a cultivation of PATIENCE is already impacting my relationships and my creativity. May it also serve you well.

How about YOU, dear Friend? Does this month’s theme resonate with you? What “tools” / (spiritual) practices would YOU like to share this month? WHEREVER you are on your journey, I would love to hear from you. Please e-mail me; we’re all in this together, and we have much to learn from each other. 

(THANKS for being a part of my journey, and SPECIAL THANKS to the kind souls who respond to my newsletters [this time, Nancy, Barry, Ann and Sandy] – reading your comments is always a highlight of my month. )

And, as always…
You can listen to my songs and chants here and here.
You can find the words to my songs and chants here.
You can buy my CDs here – ***AND NOW, ON bandcamp TOO!***

 

 

UPCOMING AND ONGOING EVENTS

I’m blessed with many opportunities to share my words and music; I perform as a solo artist for many churches in both Canada and the U.S. (in person and online), at local chanting events, and at many local retirement homes. I also perform in many local musical groups. 

For more detailed information on any of my performances, please click on any date in my online calendar. And if I can serve YOU in any way with my words and music, please know that it would be my great pleasure to do so! 

All of my music can be enjoyed any time on my YouTube channel, and I would really appreciate it if you were to visit it and then click on “Subscribe”. (And if you’re a Facebook user, I would really appreciate it if you were to “Like” my Fan Page and then click on “Following”.) Thanks so much!

As a very dear and wise friend in Montreal once said to me, “All I can offer you is my experience”.

My sincere desire, in every one of my newsletters, is to encourage us all to live our Big Lives one Small Step at a time.

Much love to you, dear Friend!
I bless you on your journey,
and I wish you Ease and Grace and JOY
with cultivating PATIENCE in your life.

Go with Love,
– Nathen

Nathen Aswell
Performing Songwriter / Inspirational Speaker
Encouraging people to live Big Lives one Small Step at a time
https://www.nathenaswell.com
https://nathenaswell.bandcamp.com
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/NathenAswell
(604) 618-4429