Hi there,
Big, contented sigh. I have been very, very busy spreading the word about Playing Big over the last several weeks, writing curriculum, lining up speakers, and learning more about credit card processing than I ever wanted to know.
Registration closed on Monday, and I’m thrilled – and so honored – that 110 remarkable women joined the program, from Dubai to Nairobi to Sydney to San Francisco.
When I imagined Playing Big, the intention in my heart was to support women in playing big in order to serve, heal, enrich the world. It wasn’t about helping women get their names in lights on the big marquees. It was about drawing together visionary women who want to move our world forward in some important way – but aren’t doing that something as boldly, as courageously, as big as they could — and who long for more.
As I’ve read the introductions of the women who have signed up this week, I can see that that is exactly who signed up, and that the community they are forming is as important as what will happen in the program.
I’ve been hearing from several of you that you’d like to take the course, but now wasn’t the right time. If you’d like to find out about the next session of Playing Big as soon as I’ve set the date, and be eligible for early bird discounts, sign up here.
On a different note, I wanted to invite you to come to an event I’m very excited about. On May 14th, there is a one day retreat on “A Life of Service” being held at Spirit Rock Meditation Center (near San Francisco) with one of my favorite writers and spiritual teachers, Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. You might recognize Rachel’s name – she’s the author of The New York Times bestsellers Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal and My Grandfather’s Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge and Belonging. Whether or not you can make it to the retreat, I recommend you get her books right away – they are so beautiful, comforting and healing – and I often turn to them during difficult times.
Rachel was trained as a physician (I think at Harvard, if I remember right) and herself lives with Crone’s disease. In my mind, Rachel is, first and foremost, a remarkable spiritual teacher. She was one of the early pioneers in mind-body medicine and has become a nationally recognized medical reformer and educator who believes that the practice of medicine is a spiritual path characterized by service, harmlessness, compassion, reverence for life and love. She is Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine, a co-Founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, and the Founder and Director of the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal. Here’s a podcast interview with her.
If you can make it to the retreat – let me know – I’ll be there and I’d love to say hello. Either way, I invite you to check out Rachel’s incredible writing.
…and have a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Tara
Service
