Peony by Shannon Jackson Arnold
I was first introduced to Shannon Jackson Arnold through her blog post at Amy Oscar’s Blooming Summer Wisdom series. She was the perfect guest poster for this series because she is “passionate about inspiring others to bloom big in their lives.” Shannon is the author of the beautiful book, Flowering Wisdom: Inspiring Thoughts on Life, Love & Blooming Big, featuring her words and flower photographs. For Shannon, flowers are her metaphor for finding the unique beauty in everyone and everything. She describes herself as Queen Anne’s Lace.
I am more Queen Anne’s Lace, than windowsill violet.
I want to grow wild into the meadow, sowing my seeds with abandon where I please.
Let me burst open in an abundance of blooms. Become a saucer of receptivity and spaciousness, soaking in the sun, holding up the ladybug, providing refuge for the spider.
I do best in open spaces, thriving in the heat of summer and swaying with a languid flow to the kiss of the wind.
Some call me a weed, but part of my journey is claiming my beauty and place in the kingdom of treasured flowers.
In the interview below, learn how she followed inspiration to discover her unique calling in life.
Tell us a little about your background. What have you done in the past that has led you to where you are now?
I see calling and our unique gifts as the process of allowing what is already present and encoded within us to fully emerge. In some ways, I feel like every moment of my life has been leading to now.
I love the Pema Chodron quote that “life is a good teacher and a good friend.” I see the unfolding of Life through me as shaping me and partnering with me every step of the way to nurture me into becoming the most radiant “flower” I can be.
That said, I see these experiences as most contributing to what’s enlivening me and my work currently: my spiritual seeking, connection and study; my own healing journey; my natural gifts for creativity, expression, appreciation and possibility; being a lover of flowers and this gorgeous planet we get to live on; a lifetime love affair with books; being a book author (my first book, Everybody Loves Ice Cream, was on the yummy topic of ice cream), a magazine editor and writer; a writing teacher and coach; and a marketing and communications director; and, last but not least, being a mom, daughter, wife, sister, friend, and human being who strives to be source of love and light in this world.
Recently, the deaths of my mom, my grandmother and my stepbrother-in-law in the span of 13 months opened me up more to my calling around serving in the fields of conscious dying and grief — areas which to me are really all about living fully in the present.
Which wisps of inspiration were instrumental in your own blooming and how did you act on them?
Here’s how inspiration usually flows through me: I get a whiff of an inspiring vision or possibility that lights me up…and then I look to get to into action around them by taking tiny steps. I’ll ask myself, What’s one thing I can do to move this vision forward?
I live inside a lot of questions (most spoken within the quiet of my heart like, How am I to serve? Or What’s next for me with this project?), and I listen for the answers.
Sometimes the answers come through my body. When I get full-body tingles, I pay close attention. When I’m feeling juicy and feel radiantly alive, I take note. Other times inspiration comes through prayer, meditation or journaling or the words of another at the right time. My belief is that the Universe is longing to meet our desires. We just need to put them out to be heard and answered.
The evolution of my most recent book, Flowering Wisdom, emerged in this same way: First with seeing flowers as metaphors out my study with Jan Smith of Center for Authentic Leadership. Then I started taking photographs. Then I launched a blog. Then someone suggested to compile the blog posts and photos into a book. Then I received a well-timed tip about a great printer. And so on. I continue to listen for what’s next on my journey.
Why are flowers so special for you and what insights have you learned about yourself through them?
Oh, my, I feel like I have learned everything I could possibly want to know about life, love and the Divine through my photographing, writing about and pondering flowers. And as it is with anything, there is always so much more to learn and open into.
Flowers are special to me because I feel so deeply connected to both the deepest parts of myself and the farthest reaches of the universe when I see their centers. (I am particularly drawn to the centers.) The flowers remind me how we are each a unique soul at our core, so beautiful, precious, held, loved and needed.
The flowers taught me to value the unique flower I am and how to be more deeply rooted in the knowing that my bloom — and each of our blooms — matters.
Look around: can there be too many flowers?! The more, the merrier seems to be Nature’s way.
So it is with our unique gifts and dreams that we want to share with the world. Our bloom matters to the whole fabric of the cosmos.
Besides your book, what kinds of classes and services do you offer?
I offer individual Bloom Big consults for women who are ready to open to a bigger vision for their life, whether it’s looking to launch a business, fulfill a longtime dream (be it writing a novel or running a marathon) or need support to navigate a difficult life transition (divorce, death or illness). I call these consults “a one-hour, deep-digging, soul-opening, über-inspiring, action-packed conversation so your desires and dreams can take root and thrive.”
I also speak to groups and facilitate classes with an intention to inspire others to see the precious flower we each are and the wonder that life is. I am especially grateful for the chance to present to women who are healing with an illness, dying or grieving. In addition, locally, I facilitate women’s circles, meditation gatherings, and a group that does a simple ritual called Reading for the Dead. In the coming year, I intend to offer retreats, virtual classes and more services around conscious dying. (Sign up for my e-newsletter on my website to get the latest on my offerings.)
What piece of advice you would offer to someone who wants to bloom big in his or her life?
Can I share this poem I received from the peony as my answer?
“Open yourself fully,”
says the peony.
“Unfurl yourself
into the hands
of receptivity
and surrender.
You will open,
and then
open some more,
And
open more still.
You are like a diamond
of infinite facets.
Your petals, effusive.
Take a lifetime
to study them all.
Invite others in
to experience
the sweetness
of your nectar
the delicate caress
of your perfume
the boldness
of your embrace.
You serve no one
by shrinking or
holding your petals
tight.
Gaze inside
and touch the seed
you came to carry
during this Earth Walk.
a sweltering summer slumber
overtake you, but
Stay awake.
Don’t shield
your eyes.
Take in all
your beauty and radiance.
You
only
bloom
once.”
“This is what I know,”
says the peony.
“Know it now
for yourself, too.”
Thank you, Kim, for the opportunity to share and for the beautiful inspiration you offer the world through your presence, words and art.
** Books mentioned have Amazon affiliate links, meaning I make a few cents if you purchase through my link. I only recommend books that I’ve read.
Shannon Jackson Arnold is the author and photographer of Flowering Wisdom: Inspiring Thoughts on Life, Love & Blooming Big. A devoted student of the flower, she has taken more than 3,500 flower photographs and writes about seeing life through the lens of flowers. In addition to writing and other creative endeavours, she teaches, speaks and offers private consults to inspire others to bloom fully in their lives. You can learn more and sign up to download a free pdf of her book at her website.
Website: http://www.shannonjacksonarnold.com