THE QUIET DAY

Today I am joing with the Quiet Place to silence phones, hold off on posting to facebook and communicating in lower case with gentle communication. 

 

We all need a day like this don't we?

I Choose To Believe

We are never alone

We encounter the world through relationship. Our relationships with ourselves, each other and our environment evolve and call us forth to examine who we are now, who we are becoming and how we can contribute. Tap into connection.

We have a choice

The fabric of our world is woven with a promise- that we can always return to our best selves, to our power to shape a world in which all living things thrive. It is not only a promise but also a choice we make every moment. Choose integrity.

Words matter

The words we use can both create and destroy. How we speak shapes who we are and how we share meaning. When our voice emanates from the heart we all change. Speak with intention.

Laughter is a gift

Genuine laughter touches the soul and brings us closer to ourselves and to each other. When we can trust the spontaneity of joy, we begin to trust ourselves. Laugh with abandon.

We are sacred

We each embody a sacred spirit. It is the gift we are given and the gift we give. You remind me of my potential. I remind you of yours. Our spirit links us inextricably to the divine and to each other. Trust your value.

Let's Start a Revolution of Patience

Platitude Alert: CHANGE TAKES TIME

President Obama has repeatedly said that the kind of change he wants to see in this country will take time. Cynics will say that he is managing our expectations and protecting himself. I think, regardless of your politics, if you are honest with yourself you know it is true. 

And yet our way of life is so antithetical to patience with change. Now that I am at long last a smart phone owner- I know how instantaneously I get and receive information and responses. And believe me-I LOVE it. Technology has aided and abetted our addiction to speed. 

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In the coaching world we like to say that coaching is not like therapy. You can reach your goals and see progress in a much shorter amount of time.  We, too, feed into the need for people to see change quickly. And it can be true. However, what is even truer is that the real lasting change, the kind of change that takes root in your bones so that you experience yourself differently-that change is slower. I am blessed to have some clients who have been with me for years. And they will tell you, I have tried to fire them. And yet the blessing of working with them over a significant amount of time is the chance to witness lasting transformation. 

I have been working with my own coach now for 6 years. And while to most of the world, I am essentially who I have always been- I know- and she knows- that I am more resilient, more grounded, more compassionate (to myself!) and connected to all that gives meaning to my life than I was when we started. 

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Have you ever grieved for a loved one? Over 2 years after losing my sister I know that I am still learning how to live in the world as an only child. Did I move on with my life relatively soon? Sure. have I finished grieving? Not by a long shot. 

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It takes effort to slow down. I sometimes ask my clients to tap out a beat with their hand at the pace they would like to be moving. I encourage them to use this beat as their internal metronome as they talk, and walk and move through their day. Easy? Not at all. 

I am more and more convinced that our innate potential and creativity, our capacity to give and love are all a product of the slow times--not the fast ones. 

What do you think? 

Will you start this SLOW revolution with me? 

Love what you do...

Me: I can't wait until tomorrow when I can put in a full day of work. 

My 17yr. old son: You can't wait?

Me: Yes. I love what I do and I want to get back to it.

My 17 yr. old son: Isn't that great that you love what you do?

Me: It is. It didn't happen by accident. My career choices have all been motivated by paying attention to what energizes me and what ignites my passion and compassion. 

My 17 yr. old son: MMM. I can't wait until I finish HS!

 

 

Can there be any other way than to love what you do? I am not naive. I know many of you don't. And I also know that no matter what you do... you have the choice to find within it the place where you can contribute. Where you matter. And if you can't--you have the choice to leave. Or you have the choice to find other places in your life where you can you pour your passion. 

Life is too short to blame other people and circumstances. You have gifts. Yours is but to recognize them, use them and feel the joy of being well-used!