We are in the middle of an incredible heat wave in Seattle. Yesterday we shattered our all-time high of 100 degrees with a reading of 103. Those of you who live in climates where 103 is not a big deal may be wondering why I am bothering to write about all this. But you have to understand, Seattleites are used to a temperate marine climate. We don’t do snow in the winter and we don’t do heat waves in the summer.
As I observe myself, my neighbors and people I meet during the day, one thing becomes very obvious – we are not very good with just accepting the weather as it is. We rush to the store to buy as many fans and air conditioners as possible without thinking that maybe if we just bought one or two that would leave more for other people. We consistently focus on every degree the thermometer rises and then ramp up our complaining to match the rise in temperature. We have an insistent need to be comfortable at any expense which I believe relates directly to the need for instant gratification. We don’t like what we can’t fix or change and the weather is something that even the most brilliant of people can’t control.
There is a Zen saying which goes: When it is cold we shiver and when it is hot we sweat. I have been thinking a lot about that saying this week. I work out of our house and we don’t have air conditioning – just one little fan which is blowing on me as I write. I started the week thinking that I wouldn’t be able to get much work done because it was so hot – yet I soon realized that this was just a story. There was no reason I couldn’t work; and in fact, I have had a very productive week even though I have been very hot and have been sweating profusely! But every now and then I go outside and douse myself with the hose. It’s kind of fun. I feel like a kid having a summer time adventure.
There is no doubt that I will be glad when this heat wave breaks and we get back to a more typical Seattle summer. But as with all bumps in the road, this has been a great opportunity to watch what stories come up about I can and cannot do when things are not exactly the way I want them and then to observe whether I challenge these voices and stories or blindly follow their word as the truth.
The mind is everything. What you think, you become. Buddha
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
And Then....
I read this story a long time ago and just came across it again a few days ago. It’s a wonderfully ironic example of how hard we think we need to work to ensure that we end up with a simple and relaxing life. I hope you enjoy it.
AND THEN....
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after! that?"
"Afterwards? Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."
Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. – Eddie Cantor
AND THEN....
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after! that?"
"Afterwards? Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."
Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. – Eddie Cantor
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Rewards of Staying the Course
I have just come back from an incredible vacation in Alaska. Alaska is an amazing place. There is a different feeling there than I have experienced in any other state I have visited; and the nickname, “The Last Frontier” seems incredibly appropriate.
We did a lot of hiking while we were there and I noticed a vague sense of apprehension as we were trekking along the trails. We were in bear country, but I have been in bear country before and hadn’t really been that bothered by it. Somehow the vastness of where we were made me feel particularly isolated and vulnerable, even though there were other people on the trails.
It was an interesting experience and there were times when I had to quiet those voices in my head telling me that this was too dangerous and that we should turn back. I had to tell myself that here I was in Alaska, this amazing place and it would be just plain stupid not to take advantage of this time to see and experience everything I could.
In many respects, the hiking we did was a great metaphor for our lives. I bet you can think of times when you started out to do something you really wanted to do only to get sidetracked by the voices of fear and doubt. Life can be scary at times; but if we can muster up the courage to just keep putting one foot in front of the other, we will reap the rewards of not giving up.
We did a lot of hiking while we were there and I noticed a vague sense of apprehension as we were trekking along the trails. We were in bear country, but I have been in bear country before and hadn’t really been that bothered by it. Somehow the vastness of where we were made me feel particularly isolated and vulnerable, even though there were other people on the trails.
It was an interesting experience and there were times when I had to quiet those voices in my head telling me that this was too dangerous and that we should turn back. I had to tell myself that here I was in Alaska, this amazing place and it would be just plain stupid not to take advantage of this time to see and experience everything I could.
In many respects, the hiking we did was a great metaphor for our lives. I bet you can think of times when you started out to do something you really wanted to do only to get sidetracked by the voices of fear and doubt. Life can be scary at times; but if we can muster up the courage to just keep putting one foot in front of the other, we will reap the rewards of not giving up.
The glacier in the picture was one of the rewards we received for staying the course.
The choice is ours. We can follow the excitement of life or we can dawdle around reading the danger signs and never get anywhere. – Cheri Huber
Thursday, July 09, 2009
North To Alaska
I am leaving tomorrow to spend a week with some very close friends in the small Alaskan village of Halibut Cove. I have never been to our 49th state and am very excited about seeing and experiencing its rugged wilderness and beauty.
However, as I pull my things together and start packing I notice that there is a part of me who does not want to go. I have just started a 6 month intensive coaching class to rebrand and build my business and there is a fair amount of resistance about leaving right now.
It is an interesting process to watch for I have always been a huge proponent of vacations. I talk to my clients all the time about taking time off and about getting away from the speed and intensity of everyday life. Yet, here I am getting caught up in the story that if I take a week off, things will fall apart, I will get behind in the class, my business will suffer…etc.
When I step back and look at what is going on, I see just how difficult it can be sometimes to let go of our identity as a professional and slip into being just a regular person on vacation. To truly be on vacation means that, for a short period of time, we are no longer the coach, attorney, businessperson or consultant that we are comfortable being. We are just us.
That sounds great, yet so many of us have lost touch with who that person really is. And I think that some people may fear that they won’t be able to find themselves under all the layers of business wrap.
But that is why vacations are so important. Vacations allow us the time and space to reconnect with ourselves, as well as our families. They help us slow down enough to be able to revisit what is important to us and notice how we have gotten off track. Our minds quiet down which allows our creative side to emerge and issues and problems that had previously seemed monumental are mysteriously resolved.
Vacations are very good things. They allow us to refill our emotional buckets, re-energize our bodies and reconnect with our little kid who is so full of energy and fun. Vacations are a necessary pause in our hectic lives and I am going to try my best to take full advantage of my trip to Halibut Cove. I hope you, also, will take the time to take some time off this summer!
Twenty-five years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
However, as I pull my things together and start packing I notice that there is a part of me who does not want to go. I have just started a 6 month intensive coaching class to rebrand and build my business and there is a fair amount of resistance about leaving right now.
It is an interesting process to watch for I have always been a huge proponent of vacations. I talk to my clients all the time about taking time off and about getting away from the speed and intensity of everyday life. Yet, here I am getting caught up in the story that if I take a week off, things will fall apart, I will get behind in the class, my business will suffer…etc.
When I step back and look at what is going on, I see just how difficult it can be sometimes to let go of our identity as a professional and slip into being just a regular person on vacation. To truly be on vacation means that, for a short period of time, we are no longer the coach, attorney, businessperson or consultant that we are comfortable being. We are just us.
That sounds great, yet so many of us have lost touch with who that person really is. And I think that some people may fear that they won’t be able to find themselves under all the layers of business wrap.
But that is why vacations are so important. Vacations allow us the time and space to reconnect with ourselves, as well as our families. They help us slow down enough to be able to revisit what is important to us and notice how we have gotten off track. Our minds quiet down which allows our creative side to emerge and issues and problems that had previously seemed monumental are mysteriously resolved.
Vacations are very good things. They allow us to refill our emotional buckets, re-energize our bodies and reconnect with our little kid who is so full of energy and fun. Vacations are a necessary pause in our hectic lives and I am going to try my best to take full advantage of my trip to Halibut Cove. I hope you, also, will take the time to take some time off this summer!
Twenty-five years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Celebrating Independence Day
This weekend we celebrate the Fourth of July, the quintessential summer weekend. Parades, ice cream, and fireworks will be the order of the day as cities, large and small celebrate Independence Day.
In my family, the Fourth of July was the best of all holidays. We would wake up about 7:00 am to the blast of my father’s shotgun announcing the start of the day. We would then spend the day shooting off fire crackers, making ice cream, swimming and playing softball. Later in the afternoon my aunts, uncles and cousins would arrive for a large barbecue. Before we ate, one of my uncles would always read the Declaration of Independence. Then the day would wrap up with a wonderful fireworks display. It was a day tailor-made for kids and anyone who was a kid at heart.
I still love the 4th . It brings out the kid in me and that’s a good feeling. I also have fond memories of my uncle reading the Declaration of Independence which still makes me pause for a moment and remember what this day is truly all about.
It is my hope, as we approach this weekend, that families all over our country are taking the time to have fun and are creating memories that they can carry with them throughout their lives.
How are you going to spend the weekend? Will you march in a parade? Are you going to take your kids to see the local fireworks display or maybe have a family picnic at a park or the beach? This is a special day – make it special for you and your family.
Fun is where it's at. That's why you need to be there. - Unknown
In my family, the Fourth of July was the best of all holidays. We would wake up about 7:00 am to the blast of my father’s shotgun announcing the start of the day. We would then spend the day shooting off fire crackers, making ice cream, swimming and playing softball. Later in the afternoon my aunts, uncles and cousins would arrive for a large barbecue. Before we ate, one of my uncles would always read the Declaration of Independence. Then the day would wrap up with a wonderful fireworks display. It was a day tailor-made for kids and anyone who was a kid at heart.
I still love the 4th . It brings out the kid in me and that’s a good feeling. I also have fond memories of my uncle reading the Declaration of Independence which still makes me pause for a moment and remember what this day is truly all about.
It is my hope, as we approach this weekend, that families all over our country are taking the time to have fun and are creating memories that they can carry with them throughout their lives.
How are you going to spend the weekend? Will you march in a parade? Are you going to take your kids to see the local fireworks display or maybe have a family picnic at a park or the beach? This is a special day – make it special for you and your family.
Fun is where it's at. That's why you need to be there. - Unknown
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