Tag Archives: Malaprops Book Store

The Storms Of Our Lives

I’ve been thinking about storms lately. As Hurricane Joquin blows its way around the Southeast and the Atlantic, there is a sense that these storms can be random. We never know where they are going to hit and who will be effected. These real physical storms are felt but storms are not all of an environmental nature. We all are subject to storms in our lives. These storms can take the form of a health, relationship, business or financial crisis that can land unexpectedly. What these storms do is put us at a choice point. The storm signals to us that something needs to change in our lives. Perhaps we need to make a change to really move forward in our lives, and the storm awakens us from complacency.

The Storm Offers Two Choices

I believe that the storm offers two choices. The first choice is to resist the need to change or remain stuck. The second choice is to flow and adapt to the change to become unstuck. The stuck choice is motivated by fear. Perhaps the fear is of an unknown future, a desire to cling to the past, or a lack of confidence regarding our ability to handle it all. The unstuck choice on the other hand is motivated first by an acceptance of the situation, of what happened. It is also marked by a calmness and a knowing that you have the ability and inner resources to deal with the crises. It is out of that calmness with curiosity, openness and belief that a new direction, a new course can be forged.

They say that it is darkest before the dawn and so it is with the storms of our lives. I believe that we are never given a situation that we cannot handle, and we have more ability and wisdom than we know. It is also within the storms of our lives that our greatest life purpose can be excavated. When Moses was a privileged Egyptian prince, he saw and felt the storm of a people in bondage. His exile from his known life, his storm, allowed him to hear the voice of his God to move into his life purpose as a leader and liberator. Whatever your life purpose is, pay attention to the storms you may find yourself in. It is those storms and the way you process them that may lead you as well to your greatest purpose and destiny.

The following is a passage from our book, Messages to the Heart, Reflections of Beauty and Truth. The Passage from Reflections On Transformation/Change calls on you to see a storm in your life in an empowering way: The passage is paired with Elise Okrend’s original pastel painting, Southern Sky:

A Cycle of Change. A storm can free your desire, your calmness can free your wisdom, your actions can free your destiny.

Southern Sky by Elise Okrend, www.eliseokrend.com

Messages to the Heart Book Salon at Malaprops Books & Cafe

Do you want to go deeper, have a dialogue, contemplate what is possible in your life, in the world? If you are in Asheviile, or plan to visit this Fall, please join us at one of our book salons. We meet every other Wednesday through the end of October at Malaprops Books & Cafe from 5-6p.m. We welcome your presence and participation. The next Book Salon will take place on Wednesday, October 14th. Also, we would love your feedback on this blog. Please feel free to add your comments below. We look forward to connecting with you.

Phil & Elise Okrend

You can order the book, Messages to the Heart, Reflections of Beauty and Truth through our web site , the retail stores listed there including Malaprops, or on Amazon.com

To learn about Phil’s Life Coaching services, visit his coaching page at the Messages to the Heart Website! Take advantage of a 30 minute complimentary coaching session to see how coaching can move you forward in your life and/or career.

Living From Purpose, Thoughts On Wayne Dyer

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Living From Purpose, thoughts on Wayne Dyer

We had the privilege to lead another Messages to the Heart Book Salon at Malaprop’s Bookstore & Cafe this past week. In a way, it was a tribute to Dr. Wayne Dyer who just passed. The passages that were covered from our book were From Reflections on Following your Heart, Feeling Alive and Purpose. Dr. Dyer possessed those qualities. His words, what he expressed is how we desire to live, unencumbered by fear or doubt, learning to tune into your callings, finding your purpose and ultimately using your gifts to serve others. We carried a bit of Wayne Dyer’s spirit with us at the Book Salon and the discussions were moving. It almost felt like he was joining us around the table, smiling and nodding.

One of the passages we shared was on Purpose. The passage is paired with Elise’s dramatic pastel, San Miguel. The passage reads as follows:

Each one of us has a purpose, a destiny. We each have a time when that purpose will manifest. You can not choose that time, that time chooses you. It is your job to recognize when that time is calling you. You cannot prematurely put your actions into motion when the time is not right, for then it is just your ego wanting control. Listen for the time, and then act. You will know when it is time.

San Miguel, Original Pastel by Elise Okrend. www.eliseokrend.com

I know that Dr. Dyer would agree that we all have a purpose, and as we truly listen, that purpose will manifest and happen in the right time. We treasure the time that Wayne Dyer was with us on this planet. We are all better off for his ability to truly live his purpose and share that purpose with so many. Thank you Dr. Dyer for all.

Messages to the Heart Book Salon at Malaprops Books & Cafe

Do you want to go deeper, have a dialogue, contemplate what is possible in your life, in the world? If you are in Asheviile, or plan to visit this Fall, please join us at one of our book salons. We meet every other Wednesday through the end of October at Malaprops Books & Cafe from 5-6p.m. We welcome your presence and participation. The next Book Salon will take place on Wednesday, September 16th. Also, we would love your feedback on this blog. Please feel free to add your comments below. We look forward to connecting with you.

Phil & Elise Okrend

You can order the book, Messages to the Heart, Reflections of Beauty and Truth through our web site , the retail stores listed there including Malaprops, or on Amazon.com

To learn about Phil’s Life Coaching services, visit his page at the Messages to the Heart Website!

Are You Opening To A NEW PARADIGM?

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Book Salon at Malaprop’s

We have been grateful to introduce our Messages to the Heart book salon at Malaprops Books & Cafe in Asheville, NC. We have led two salons so far. The discussion, participation has been rich and vibrant. Starting with the first chapter of the book, Reflections on Following your Heart, we talked about Letting Go, Forgiveness, Surrender and Truth. What we have loved are the nuances others have picked up on. Looking at one of the art images, someone shared an observation that “a peek of light in a turbulent sky signified a new way to look at personal challenge.” There was a comfort in knowing that this light was always there trying to make its way through.

A New Paradigm

At the last salon, we discussed one of the passages that we believe is calling on us collectively. The passage, Surrender speaks to letting go of old notions of control to make way for a NEW PARADIGM that has been waiting for us to embrace. The passage joined with Elise Okrend’s original pastel painting, Mountain Light is below. As you read the words and look at the art, see how the words and image speak to you.

When you surrender to the calling of your soul, there is a relief as you let go of control. When the ego no longer calls the shots, the only thing that matters is trust, belief, faith, love. We are at the point when control over others, control to get money, possessions, status has been fully played out and leaves you feeling alone, in a battle. That way is tiresome, old and exhausting. The new paradigm, and it has always been at the core of you, is trust coming through and through. No fighting, no games, no manipulation, no impatience. Just a calm knowing of your unique talents and using them to uplift others, to heal, to inspire, to give. It is filled with a patience that it will all work out and each moment becomes alive with these things.

Mountain Light, Original Pastel by Elise Okrend, www.eliseokrend.com

Do you want to go deeper, have a dialogue, contemplate what is possible in your life, in the world? If you are in Asheviille, or plan to visit this fall, please join us at one of our book salons. We meet every other Wednesday through the end of October at Malaprops Books & Cafe from 5-6p.m. We welcome your presence and participation. Also, we would love your feedback on this blog. Please feel free to add your comments below. We look forward to connecting with you.

Phil & Elise Okrend

You can order the book, Messages to the Heart, Reflections of Beauty and Truth through our web site , the retail stores listed there including Malaprops, or on Amazon.com

To learn about Phil’s Life Coaching services, visit his page at the Messages to the Heart Website!

In The Spirit – Interview with Elise and Phil Okrend

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1621828_417492958380867_1989983975_n This interview with us was featured in the In The Spirit column of the Asheville Mountain Xpress on Wednesday, February 5, 2014. By Jordan Foltz.

WHAT: Messages to the Heart: Reflections of Beauty and Truth reading, book signing and art show with authors Phil and Elise Okrend.

WHEN/WHERE: Book reading and signing at Malaprop’s Bookstore and Café, Sunday Feb. 9, 3-5 p.m. Art display at Hotel Indigo, Wednesday Feb. 12, 5-7 p.m.

WHY: Compiled by Asheville couple Phil and Elise Okrend, Messages to the Heart combines Elise’s pastel paintings with Phil’s poetic passages inspired by his years as a life coach. The Okrends spoke with Xpress about the book’s creation:

Mountain Xpress: What have you found that this book is able to convey through the combination of prose and imagery that your individual works were unable to carry on their own?

Elise: When my art is paired with Phil’s passages, we are asking the reader to go deeper. We allow them to have a feeling about the art, but we ask them to reflect about a part of themselves through the passage. How does it make them feel? How can they allow themselves to have a different perspective? How are they inspired? We consciously tried to match the passages to the paintings by sensing what feeling or emotion the art was calling forth.

Phil: If you think about a memorable song, the lyrics and the melody may stand on their own as an artistic piece of work, but it is the joining of those media that creates something lasting with more impact to the listener. … Together, the art and words carry more impact than if just left by themselves. I also love the idea of having my words not just as a book to read, but as an object of design and beauty that can be a part of someone’s home.

For more information, go to Messages to the Heart.

Sharing Our Story Behind Messages to the Heart

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Here’s a great story, just released in the Asheville Citizen-Times about the creation of Messages to the Heart. The book is an organic pairing of our different forms of creative self expression through art and words, and our desire to inspire and help others find their own authentic path. We are so excited to have the opportunity to share our story and read from the book at two upcoming events in Asheville during Valentine’s Day Week.

Messages to the Heart events

• Malaprop’s Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville, 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9th, for an author reading and book signing.
• Hotel Indigo, 151 Haywood St., downtown Asheville, will host a Valentine’s Day themed reception, book signing and art display with music, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 12.

Elise and Phil Okrend
www.messagestotheheart.com