Welcome!

I enjoyed the announcements in London last month to “mind the gap” when getting on and off the Underground. (No, the train in this photo is not from London, but from Chicago’s CTA.) There are gaps and dangers everywhere, so it’s great to keep an eye out for them and to be reminded of them.

Sometimes we create gaps that we really should not pay attention to. Those are the gaps between who/where we are and who/where other people are. They look like they’re getting ahead, while we are struggling. They make some really hard things look effortless. It seems like they have it all. And on and on.

The things is, that’s just our (biased) guess. It’s probably wrong because they (like us) always try to present the best version of ourselves to the outside world. But more importantly, we are on different life journeys. We started in different places. We likely have different destinations in life. We have different talents. We have definitely had a different life experience than others. Because all of us are unique. So any attempt to compare does indeed often lead to despair.

The next time you’re tempted to compare yourself to someone else and think there may be a gap, don’t mind it. Keep focused on your journey and progress towards your desired destination.

#comparison #lifejourney #progress …

The farmer harvested the hay in our field last week. In this photo, he’s raking the hay that will form windrows for ease of baling. But there’s another reason the raking process is key – it helps remove moisture. If you looked at this hay sitting on the ground after a day in the sun, it would look dry. But that’s only the top. There’s moisture below. And if you bale hay with too much moisture, it can mold inside the bales and create combustion risk (yes, as in burning down your barn type of combustion). So the raking process flips the hay around to allow it to dry.

Things in life often look fine on the surface, but risk and danger can lurk beneath the surface. The workout journal shows impressive workouts, but injury could be around the corner without some rest days. The team is making its revenue targets, but people may be at the point of burnout. The social media posts show a fantastic life, but loneliness and depression lurk in the background.

It’s fast and easy to accept a surface view, but if we don’t flip things upside down from time, we may not get a true sense of the progress we are making or changes we should consider.

What do you need to flip over this week to support continued growth?
#perspective #closerlook #appearances #hayseason …

When bad things happen to us, it is easy to think someone had an issue with us, personally. That may be true sometimes, but it`s usually that they`re focused on themselves and their goals and may not even notice the rest of us.

Case in point, the elephant ear plant shown in this photo. I`d planted it inside, moved the pot to the deck three weeks ago, and it seemed to be doing fine. Great. And then I looked out this morning and saw it ripped out of the pot that was a good 5 feet away, roots exposed, gasping (I imagined) for water and sustenance.

Did the squirrel or raccoon (or whoever it was) try to thwart my plan? No. The plant just aligned with whatever its plan was. It truly was nothing personal. So I cleaned up, repotted, sprayed on some critter deterrent spray and we go forward.

We are all naturally focused on our own worlds. So is everyone else. So when someone does something not very kind, take a step back to see if it was something truly designed against you or, more likely, focused on that person`s agenda that didn`t consider others. And then consider how you might unknowingly impact the plans of others.

#notaboutyou #futurefocus #unanticipated …

This cactus was encircled in mesh no doubt designed to protect it from nibbling creatures. But despite its confinement, it bloomed inside the cage and even found a way to bloom right through the mesh.

People and circumstances may seem to try to define and confine us. To limit us from growing. But the beautiful thing is that your thoughts and dreams are wholly your own and entirely free. You can work on them in spare seconds or hours. Whenever you want.

True, you might not be able to act on them as quickly as you`d like because of some of those circumstances. Yet those thoughts and dreams, when combined with visualizing your desired state, can help create the motivation and energy necessary to help you move beyond the limitations of life.

How are you building your future from within? How are you igniting your inner fire to conquer more? How might you be limiting yourself?

#limitless #innerstrength #dreams #visualization …

Walking in the rain this morning, I saw several near-collisions of people as their umbrellas or hoods obscured their view of others. Their focus on avoiding large puddles and keeping dry was important, but limited their awareness of surroundings.

We all have to hunker down at times, but picking our heads up periodically is important so we can see where we are and whether we are on the right path to achieve our goals. It also helps us see who is with us on the journey of life and whether they are moving us forward or holding us back.

What might be limiting your view today? How can you check your progress on growth? Who`s with you?

#limitations #perspective #clarity #view #progress …

We are in the midst of a snowstorm and the snow on the trees is just stunning, even as those trees bow under the weight of the snow. What I noticed was how even though everything is covered in white, certain trees and structures stand out even in the storm, like the branches in this photo. And it is because of the unique structure of each of them.

We sometimes struggle to stand out. To be seen. To be heard. As with the trees, the key is often to just be your authentic self. There is no one like you with your skillset and mindset. You have a unique perspective to add. You need to own that uniqueness, find your voice, and use it. It may not be easy and you may feel pressure in your environment just as the trees feel the weight of the snow, but you can shake off the pressure and stand up to stand out.

Where can you take a step towards greater authenticity today? What are the pressures you need to shake off to move forward?

#authenticity #pressure #storms …

Learned so much from virtually attending Morgan Stanley`s event, "Carla Beyond the Pearls: The Power of the Voice." @carlaannharris is a fountain of practical wisdom and inspiration. I will definitely be checking out her latest book, Lead to Win.

#carlaspearls #blackhistorymonth
#leadtowin #inspired #useyourvoice …

This sign caught my eye because it included "new" but was already looking quite old with some of the lights out.

Newness fades, and usually more quickly than we think. That new car smell disappears. That new pair of shoes moves to the back of the closet. The new hit movie starts streaming. And on and on. So we start looking for the next new thing because we love newness and novelty.

I`m not aware of ways of extending newness. But I`ve found something that keeps newness rolling into my life — the mindset of curiosity. When you`re genuinely curious, it spills out into all aspects of your life and spawns even more questions. Why did that client ask for something entirely different? What would happen if we change this process? I wonder who might know how to do X? What would happen if we took a vacation off the grid? Why is that hummingbird climbing and then diving? Are jet streams causing this storm?

In other words, adopt a slightly more adult version of the Terrible Twos and ask "Why?" a bit more.

Today, what if you made a point to ask five questions? Write them down, see what you learned. And repeat tomorrow to keep bringing newness into your life.

#curiosity #newness #questions #novelty …

The fog was thick this morning, shrouding many of the skyscrapers in the area. But at ground level, everything was still clear.

It`s easy to get caught up in the big things in life and not see the fog rolling in that reduces clarity. We lose sight of what matters, where we are going and who`s on the journey with us. We become confused. When that confusion sets in, it`s time to get back to the basics of what grounds us. Our values. Our purpose. Our mission.

What`s gotten foggy in your life? How can you go to ground to gain clarity?

#grounding #clarity #mission #purpose …

I ordered a ponytail palm. Just one. I`d received one as a gift while living in El Salvador, so I knew what they looked like. This wasn`t exactly it. Upon closer inspection, one can see that it wasn`t one but 17 (!!) planted closely together. While it looked pretty at the time, it was clear they needed to be separated so that any of them had the chance to thrive. So I carefully pulled them apart before their roots became too intertwined and repotted.

There are so many amazing benefits of being together with colleagues, friends, family and community. We support and learn from each other that helps us on our respective growth journeys. But we can also hide behind the group, become too dependent on it and fail to develop our individual talents and skills that benefit the collective.

What are the groups to which you belong? Are you developing yourself to benefit the group (and to grow individually)? If not, what`s a step you can take today?

And if you leave near NJ, let me know if you`d like a ponytail palm for your home. 🙂

#growth #community #contribution #selfwork …

We had a big storm last night so I hopped onto the treadmill while I waited for the sun to rise so I could check for damage. The trainer for the interval running workout I was doing asked a question that made me pause and think. "Why did you press Start today?" With the inference that we take action to improve, not to stay where we are. Interval training stresses the body in different ways so that it can take on increased challenges later. Doing the same workout every day, on the other hand, only leads to a plateau of fitness.

Same in nature and in life, as I saw this beautiful scene outside as nature also was preparing to get back to the new normal after the storm. A steady state may be fine for slogging through a project, one step at a time, but it is not a recipe for long-term growth. It leads to a rut that grows deeper and deeper and harder to get out of. We can`t really adapt when there is no change. So as much as we may not enjoy change at the beginning (that workout was not fun this morning), the growth the comes later is worth the effort.

Is there a place in your life where you`ve settled into a steady state rather than seeking to grow? How can you push yourself out of your comfort zone?

#steadystate #adapt #flexibility #growth #training #comfortzone …

We have a heated bird bath so the birds have access to fresh water throughout winter. I noticed recently that it was dirtier than usual and saw why this morning — a squirrel also enjoys the water and walks right in. Not what I intended, but not causing any harm other than more frequent cleaning.

We have just come out of a season of gift giving. There`s something great about finding what we think is the perfect gift and seeing someone then open it in surprise. It`s all good. Unless we focus on what comes later. Do they ever wear the sweater, read the book, display the piece of decor, et cetera? At that point, we have lost the point of gifting — to show someone we care. Few people reject a gift but their needs and desires may be different than what we think they are. It doesn`t mean they appreciate our sentiment in giving the gift any less.

I`m talking less about actual wrapped presents here than the gifts of time, attention, advice, mentoring and more. What matters for both sides is the connection and knowing someone cares. They may totally ignore our advice, perhaps to their own detriment. But perhaps not. What if the way they interpret your gift can create a bigger, but different, impact than you intended, like the bird batch becoming a community watering hole?

Never stop giving. But recognize that you can stop worrying about how the gift is used.

#gifts #intention #presence #mentoring #advice …

You may need to zoom in a bit on this picture to see that at the base of this evergreen tree is a small palm plant. This is not uncommon in a desert landscape where a plant shelters underneath a larger plant or tree. This palm is in a particularly smart place as there is also an irrigation line visible so there will be water. But what is also not uncommon is for the little plant to soak up some of the resources the larger tree needs and eventually overtakes the larger tree.

I don`t think this evergreen is endangered by the palm, but it`s a good reminder to think about how our efforts to protect others can often backfire, despite our best intentions. We want to help them grow, so for a short time, protection may be helpful. But life requires overcoming adversity and challenge. If we don`t step back, those we are trying to protect do not have the opportunity to flex their own muscles and grow and, worse, they become dependent in the longer term rather than independent. Overcoming adversity also helps build confidence to take on new challenges. Freedom to fail is essential to real growth.

The next time you find yourself protecting someone, ask yourself if that protection is needed whether you`re providing freedom for the other person to grow.

#protection #growth #freedom #freetofail #adversity …

I rarely take selfies and I`m not sure I`ve ever taken a shadow selfie. But I did so yesterday when it appeared that I was wearing a bucket cap on the golf course. Nope, just a regular cap but hair sticking out enough to look like a bucket cap. The shadows created the confusion even for me.

Shadows obscure and distort reality, both on the golf course and in our interactions and our internal mental chatter. We look at a shadow and convince ourselves that it is real. Or we try to fill in the blanks. Or we just fear what isn`t known or is a bit fuzzy.

When we re-orient ourselves towards sunlight or transparency, we see what is real and can put the shadows behind us. Clarity emerges and we can decide what our next best shot or opportunity is.

Is there a shadow standing in the way of your growth? How can you shed some sunshine on the matter?

#perspective #shadows #clarity …