Bundle into your parka, grab your warmest hat and let’s take a walk through a snowstorm. Embracing the winter’s chilly weather will make you feel alive. This image reminds me of my mom, her rosy face looking at me through the fur of her hood, her eyes smiling. We hold to each other up and head out into the wintery blizzard, ready for anything.
I was heading off on my annual 3-day solo retreat a few weeks ago, and a friend said, “Oh you’re going to manifest the year ahead.” I immediately reacted. “No no” I said, “This is a work retreat.”
There’s something about the moment when we connect with a wild animal. Our eyes meet and our hearts skip a beat. We become aware of our safety but compelled by a deep sense of curiosity. Anything could happen. Time seems to stand still.
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.
No matter how chaotic it is, wildflowers will still spring up in the middle of nowhere. – Sheryl Crow, Here on Earth. Image Credit: Lake Rosseau Blooms 2 by Wendy Moses www.alexandralukegallery.com
When all is said and done, the weather and love are the two elements about which one can never be sure. – Alice Hoffman, Here on Earth. Image Credit: Hearts and Flowers by Cherie Daly www.cheriedaly.com
You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather. – Rema Chodron. Image Credit: Deepening by Tom Dietrich www.tomdietrich.ca
As leaders, every action, every gesture, and every word we choose has an impact on those around us, whether we are aware of it or not. And if you ask a leader if they are self-aware, the answer is almost always, “Yes.” However, the research shows that we are far less self-aware than we think we are.
As a coach, I’m constantly being humbled and invited to see things in new ways. Last week, this happened in a huge and unexpected way. I was in deep discussion with a team who was trying to figure out their new work reality. The concept of a hybrid work model is all the buzz, but what does that really mean?
Rain makes me feel less alone. All rain is, is a cloud-falling apart, and pouring its shattered pieces down on top of you. It makes me feel good to know I’m not the only thing that falls apart. – Lone Alaskan Gypsy. Image Credit: After the Rain by Mandy Budan abstractlandscapepainting.com
As I watched the athletes march into the stadium in Beijing, my eyes welled up with tears. I am a proud Canadian and when I see the flag, my heart overflows with gratitude for this magnificent country we call home. But the tears were about something more than that.
Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself. – Annie Leibovitz. Image Credit: Between Abstract and Reality by Elena Dinissuk elenadinissuk.ca
Over the past couple of years, Fridays have lost their lustre. One day seems to blend into the next in an endless feeling of Groundhog Day. Somewhere in the fourth wave, I realized I needed to define my weekends more clearly.
Every walk in the forest is like taking a shower in oxygen. Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees. Image Credit: Through the Trees by Silvija Hord silvijahord.com
Like most Canadians, I am obsessed with the weather. It’s not surprising, since it shapes our days, how we get around, what we wear and what activities we engage in. The weather moves us, inspires us, amazes us and sometimes angers us.
December Book of the month: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, Image Credit: Winter in the Woods by Chris McQuarrie @myinnerwild on Instagram
As you may know, every year I design and create a calendar to send to my clients. It has beautiful images of Muskoka, quotes about leadership, and a message from me.
December Book of the month: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, Image Credit: Winter in the Woods by Chris McQuarrie @myinnerwild on Instagram
One of my favourite moments of the year is Thanksgiving. Specifically, it’s our family tradition where each person around the dinner table takes a turn sharing what they are most grateful for. It’s a simple tradition, but it goes very deep.
November Book of the month: Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by: Brené Brown, Image Credit: Misty Woods by Hanne Lore Koehler www.koehlerart.com
As the door sealed shut, the walls of the airplane seemed to collapse inward. My heart was racing and blood rushed to my head. I heard myself say, “I might need a minute to catch my breath,” but there was no turning back. My fear of being in a confined space had officially been triggered and I needed to pull it together.