Find a large tree and gaze up at its magnificent structure. Imagine the strength of its roots, the elements that it has endured, the history it has witnessed. Close your eyes and focus inward. Consider your strengths, what you have endured and the possibilities that lie ahead. Let this space hold you for a while.
Wake up earlier. Get more done. Schedule more meetings. Release the need for time off. Unconsciously, that’s been my strategy for running this business for a long time. I talk about the value of time off and the power of nature, but when I’m busy, it gets harder and harder to practice.
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. – John Ruskin. Image Credit: How We Live by Maggie Broda www.maggiebroda.com
Watching the leaves change from green to vibrant red, orange, and gold this fall, I’m reminded of how beautiful change can be. Without this shift in foliage, there would be no room for the growth that comes in the spring.
“October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy draughts that bit at exposed hands and faces.” – J. K. Rowling. Image Credit: She Flies On by Gayle Dempsey www.artsinmuskoka.com/gayle-dempsey
“It’s better to walk alone, than with a crowd going in the wrong direction” – Diane Grant. Image Credit: The Welcoming Night by Col Mitchell www.colmitchell.com
“Sometimes I wish that I was the weather, you’d bring me up in conversation forever. And when it rained, I’d be the talk of the day.” – John Mayer. Image Credit: Golden Autumn by Barbel Smith www.barbelsmith.com
I adore my niece Nicole. She is a 20-year-old university student and talented singer, but this has been a tough year for her. She has Cystic Fibrosis (CF) which is a fatal disease that affects her lungs and digestive system. Health complications and chronic pain have been an ongoing battle. I often feel helpless. Lately I’ve been asking myself, what can I do?
Perhaps the whole world is actually a banquet, to which every living thing is invited. First you come as guests: then eventually you’re on the menu. – David Suzuki. Image Credit: Walking Sea Creature Necklace by Alana Miller www.dogswithhorns.com
And I truly mean this in the most literal of ways! One of my favourite summer activities is spending time hiking in nature. There are so many benefits that come along with it. It can boost our mood, alleviate stress, promote better sleep, and it can help us to clear our head and think about things in a different way.