Who Loves Grocery Shopping?

Our Isaac just loves grocery shopping.  Seriously?  While I’m betting his fondness for shopping, groceries in particular, will undoubtedly wane in time, wouldn’t it be cool to experience anything, whether new or not, with the same level of excitement and enthusiasm?  Truth is, it’s possible.  We just have to consciously choose to look at whatever we are doing as if for the first time once again.  Why not give it a try and see what might open up? You might just fall in love with grocery shopping all over again.

Only One Day Left?

Imagine that you knew you only had one more day of sand remaining in your hourglass.  Tomorrow you would pass with no more time.  How would you see the people and things around you?  Would you see the world and life as if for the first time?  Wouldn’t it be easier to Sail the Seven C’s if this were the case?  Wouldn’t it be simple to instead, readily embrace the principles born of love?  Of course, we don’t know how much sand we have left.  So why not embrace and appreciate how precious every grain of sand is regardless? 

Coco Sailing the Seven C’s

Isn’t is awesome what animals can teach us if we just pay attention?  No chasing, clinging, or controlling here.  Nowhere to go, nothing to do.  No fuss, no muss.  Just being, genuinely enjoying and soaking up the simplest gifts of life with zero expectations.  Way cool!  

A Healthy Reminder from Dr. Tyson

Well we’re back from summer vacation 2017 having brought along a positive & playful work colleague and friend with us for this road trip out west.  The good Dr. Tyson regularly reminds us all not to take life, others, or our self so seriously.  He just has a way of living simply and fully present, not worrying about anything else while thoroughly enjoying life, others, and himself.  Thanks for the reminder Tyson.  I think I will try and carry some of that with me as I get back to work.

"Guess I Was Too Busy Being In the Now"

Don't we often wonder whether what we share with our children ever truly sinks in?  Several days ago Kim was driving our 14 year old son, Jonah, and a few of the neighborhood boys to school.  They were all talking, laughing, and clearly enjoying their conversation.  After Jonah exited the car, Kim noticed he didn't have his backpack and upon quickly scanning the car, realized he forgot it at home.  She yelled out the window but he was still so engrossed in conversation that he didn't hear her.  She pulled around to the parking lot and phoned him.  A minute later he returned to the car and she asked, "Missing anything, Jonah?"  He replied, "I don't think so."  "Your backpack silly", Kim announced.  They rushed home and made it back to school just in the nick of time.  Just as he was stepping out of the car once more, Kim asked, "Jonah, how did you not notice at any point that you didn't have your backpack with you earlier?"  He paused for a second to think and responded while laughing, "I don't know mom.  I guess I was too busy being in the now.  Maybe this incident will be a good post for Daddy's blog?"  "I think you're right son.  I think you're right." 

There's Always Dig Out Monday

Kim was recently chatting with some friends stressed about the challenges of keeping a clean house with young children, particularly on the weekend.  Kim, a bit of a perfectionist who also used to get anxious about this remarked, “Don’t worry about it ladies.  If you have kids and your house is perfectly clean, you’re doing something wrong.”  While I get that this is probably not true in every circumstance, I do get her point.  Why not let go of the need to be the perfect supermom, do it all, and have a spotless house?  Wouldn’t you much rather simplify your life, focusing your precious time on the few absolute most important matters in your life, like playing, teaching, and being fully present with your loved ones?  If you don’t think so now, I promise you will one day.  “What’s that Isaac?  Time for the Hot Lava game?  Daddy and Mommy have so much to do”.  On second thought, sounds great.  I hear Kim behind me, “I always have dig out Monday.”  Thanks babe.

What do you enjoy most about your life?  Here is a poem from this week’s Purcellville Gazette.  The best things in life truly are free, if we just pay attention.  Thanks Jonah!

Criticize Self, Criticize Others

The other day our 16 year old son Caleb was feeling particularly down.  When Kim asked him about it, he told her that he wasn't smart enough, handsome enough, essentially not good enough.  As we work hard to constantly express positive, affirming words toward our children, Kim was concerned.  He must be feeling the pressure from his peers at school.  Researching online some of the possible reasons kids can feel down about themselves, she was surprised at what she found.  One risk factor, based on research, was children being exposed to parents consistently saying bad things about--criticizing--themselves, much less others.

While I can honestly say I rarely hear Kim criticizing others, much less our boys, I often talk with her about how much I wish she would stop criticizing herself, focused most often on how she looks.  I know right.  She is gorgeous.  Truth is, every one of us is gorgeous.  We just don't know and believe it.  While we can more easily see the negative impact on others when we criticize them, how many of us realize what we might be doing similarly when we criticize our self?  Bottom line, why not stop criticizing all together, both self and others, and choose to be kind and compassionate instead?  By the way, Kim hates to have her picture taken.  HA!  

A Lesson from Isaac

What is it about kids that they are so resilient, so invested in experiencing and savoring every part of life,  that they refuse to let sickness take them down if at all possible?  Take our 6-year-old Isaac, who just came down with a stomach bug.  In a simple, matter of fact manner, he announces, “Momma, I’ve got pee pee coming out my bottom!”  Not to mention him throwing up just a few seconds later.  Over and over, all day long as Kim, the wonderful mom she is, takes care of him and everything else along the way.  Despite all of this, you would think Isaac was feeling absolutely amazing in between times when the bug is taking its toll.  How does he and other young kids do it?

I want to be like that, all the time.  Where nothing, not even a stomach bug, takes me down.  I want to tackle anything life throws at me, whatever the challenge, and choose to be resilient, embracing all of life, good and bad, no matter what.  As much as possible, I want to find again that child in me, like my Isaac, who welcomes and savors all of life, good and bad.  Thanks for the lesson and reminder my son.  Maybe we all just need to take time to stop growing up?

Getting My Fire to Burn

I was grateful that a participant in one of our recent workshops shared a cool poem with me by Judy Brown called "Fire".  It explores the importance of reflection, inner thought, and feeling to one's leadership.  It made me think about how I used to shove far too much wood into our wood stove when we first got it, then wondering why it was so difficult to get my fire to burn.  I failed to realize I needed more empty space between the wood, more oxygen for the fire to burn.  As I reflected on this, I believe lately I've been shoving far too much wood into a proposal for my next assignment at work.  I've been failing to Sail every one of the Seven C's. 

You see I've been chasing this specific job proposal and only this one assignment, clinging to my notion of what it should look like and being able to continue working with long-time friends, and doing everything I can think of to control the outcome and the responses of others, despite continued resistance from a few key stakeholders.  As I reflect further, my approach to date has also had far too much competing, comparing, criticizing, and complaining.  It's time to stop, drop, and be.  Time to let go, accept my circumstances, and be more grateful, flexible, positive, kind, and compassionate.  Time to simplify my goals and be open to other possibilities, whatever they may be.  There now, that wasn't so hard.  I now have just the right amount of wood in my stove for my fire to burn.