Beauty in my own backyard

Taking pictures is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I am able to capture beauty.  Using a digital camera makes that easy since I take hundreds of picutures there are always several that come out wonderful.

How often to I take pictures?  Not often enough for me.  I realized that I tend to wait until I am going somewhere picturesque, like the beach, a park or public garden to take out my camera.

This weekend I decided to see my own backyard from a new perspective.  What prompted me was a nest of baby birds in a tree right next to my deck.  I grabbed my camera and captured this beautiful shot. 

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I then decided to “see” my yard through my camera’s eye and started to focus on the details…. a lone flower in bloom, butterflies, a magnolia blossom.   It felt great – peace, presence… and all a few steps outside of my door.

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What is in your own “backyard” that you don’t truly “see”?

Slow Change

Most change happens slowly, sometimes almost imperceptibly.   Even the change we think happens overnight (like when we experience a sudden loss of a job or change in our health) did not truly happen suddenly.  There were things in motion under the surface, or under our radar that were putting that change into effect.

Slow change is something that frustrates us.  I know it frustrates me personally as well as some of the clients I work with.   When we make up our mind that we want something – to be different than it presently is, to learn or add something new, etc, we want it to happen NOW.   Most recently I was experiencing this frustration with getting up to speed with social media.  I felt like there was so much to learn, so much to set up, and so much to maintain that it was overwhelming.

When I realized I was the one overwhelming myself with the “need to hurry up the change” I slowed down.  I evaluated why I was getting involved with social media, how incremental steps taken consistently was not only more productive but more fun, and that there is really no finish line to rush toward.  This is a process that will continually be evolving.

When we put small action into motion, change happens.  It often first happens under the surface and in the bakground – in ways we can’t always see.   Like when we begin to exercise and eat healthier our bodies are reacting to this new nourishment before we feel or see a noticable difference.

So next time you are wishing to hurry change along, slow down.  Believe that every action you take, nomatter how small, is contributing to the change you seek.  Relax into the process and enjoy it!

Four areas of focus

During breakfast with a friend recently, we began talking about career fulfillment and he described it very well when he said something like this:

“The way I see it there are four areas to focus on – Purpose, Passion, Natural Talents and Vision when seeking a great career – when these four align, we are “in the flow” of life and work.  When one is missing, often because we don’t know what or how to define it, we feel off kilter.”

I could not agree more!  To me, our Purpose includes the impact we want to have on others, Passion includes the sparks that fly and keep us engaged, Natural Talents come through us effortlessly and Vision is the direction we would like to move – our journey.

How clear are your four areas of focus?

If any are cloudy, remember I offer a free consultation for you to learn how coaching could help you not only clarify your four areas of focus, but to integrate them into a plan of action to achieve them!