Have You Ever Noticed .....?

How often do you miss the magic of every day life?  
I realize this happens and I want to change that.  I need more every day magic.  This was never more clear to me than a couple of days ago.  It was another hot Texas morning and as I walked out my front door to go to my office, I noticed. 

Each Spring for the past 6 years, I plant herbs to attract Monarch and Swallowtail Butterflies.  I always wanted to be a environmentalist and this is the closest I've come so far.    And each year, I notice upwards of 20 or more caterpillars feasting on these herbs.  This year was no different - or was it?

Although I've seen many, many caterpillars, I've never seen a butterfly from my "maternity ward".  I watch the caterpillars grow from little black specs to over an inch long and very plump.  Every day, their only job is to munch away on the herb plants.  Each morning, afternoon or evening, I peak out to see if there's a butterfly.  Instead, I see the caterpillars getting bigger and bigger.  

It never fails, the next time I check on them, they're all gone.  Just gone.  No thank you.  No see you soon note.  Just gone.  So, it was subtle, but I guess I just quit expecting to see the magic of a new butterfly.  

But this year, I noticed something.  It caught my eye as I walked past the planter.  The leaves on the small plant moved.  "What's under that bush", I wondered.   I kept walking down the pathway.  But after a few steps, I stopped.  I knew there was something I needed to notice.  And there it was - a brand new butterfly!  It had just dropped and opened it's beautiful black and yellow wings for the first time.  My jaw dropped and I didn't breathe.  I didn't want it to fly away.  I wanted to see it do whatever first born butterflies do ....  It gently opened and closed it's wings with grace and I realized I was smiling from ear to ear.  I quietly whispered to God - thank you for this gift.  It reminded me that I am never in charge of timing.  I am responsible for what I'm paying attention to.  

I felt joy just from noticing the magic of that day.  I paid attention to what was different and stopped to check it out.  Where do you need to look closer because one day, normal will be different.  And then .... the gift of every day magic shows up.

I Can Fly

When was the last time you woke up from a dream, your heart was pounding, you felt beads of sweat and the fear was so intense you knew it was real?  You were scared or even terrified.  Your dream was crystal clear and vivid.  There was no doubt in your mind, you were there and it was happening.  Ahh, no it was "just a dream".   For the past couple of years, I've had a recurring dream which brought me all of these thoughts and feelings.

I dreamed I was standing on the walkway of the Hoover Dam looking down with no barrier to keep me from falling over the edge.  If I moved an inch, I would fall and tumble thousands of feet below with no one and nothing to stop me.  So, I would freeze in almost a panic knowing if I moved, life would be over.  I would wake up, terrified.

I didn't connect the dots until this week.  This dream coincided with my inability to move from wishing and hoping for the life I wanted to actually taking dramatic steps to have it.  In fact, I only just discovered this connection the other night when I had a similar dream with a much different outcome.

I dreamed I was playing with a friend in the forest.  We were chasing each other and laughing.  All of a sudden, I turned and to my surprise I was standing on the edge of the Hoover Dam.  I froze - completely still.  To my shock, my friend didn't stop and he bumped me off the edge and I fell down, down, down into the huge expanse of this pit.  I immediately began to pray asking God to protect me.  I was no longer fearful, at all.  I knew I would be safe and all would be just as it was suppose to be - whatever that was.  The further I fell, I changed from tumbling to opening up my arms and felt the wind all over my body.  The concrete transformed to a beautiful thick forest of trees, bushes and birds.  I was smiling and joyful because there was no fear.  I Can Fly!!!  It was freedom.  It was liberating.  I was thrilled.

I believe I'm no longer standing on the edge, terrified of the What If.  Instead, I've jumped into the life I want and the same question has totally different emotion now.  There's curiosity, excitement, boldness, creativity and energy.  What If?  What's Now?  What's Next?

Gratitude

I make it a practice each morning that before I get out of bed, I thank God for the day.  I thank him for my health, my family and for protecting the people in my life.  Only today, I heard back from him....  I heard, "I'm glad you're grateful.  Now jump up out of that bed and ACT Grateful".  So, I threw the covers off and started my day much earlier than is typical.  And I had an amazing day.  I've had energy and taken care of tasks that have been sitting in my to-do "stack" for way too long.   

Acting Grateful is about action.  It's about making things happen, not just Being Grateful.  It takes both.  I'm grateful I have my health, but I wasn't making the time to go to the gym.  I'm grateful I have fabulous clients to work with who challenge me, but I wasn't jumping up to exceed their expectations.

I am grateful.  But now I'm also acting grateful.  It's the realization that it takes both the idea and action for me to have the life I truly want.    

90 Days Closer To Where I Want To Be

It's Day One of the next 90 days to discover, uncover, transform and emerge as the person I truly want to be for the next half of my life.  This month I celebrated my 53rd birthday.  And over the past three months I've been churning inside because I knew I wasn't where I wanted to be.  Don't get me wrong, I have a home, a beautiful family and great friends.  But the truth is, I'm stuck.  I'm not taking my life to the next level.  I'm not Living Big Today. 

It's time.  But turning a thought, a desire or a goal into reality takes more than a good idea or plan.  I'm really good at coming up with ideas.  What I've been lacking is the hard part...  hustle and initiative. 
Today is the first day of action.

This blog is part of my accountability.  Each day I commit to write about my progress, my setbacks, my insights and accomplishments.  Each day I would appreciate your thoughts and feedback.  I'm pretty tough, so feel free to give it to me straight.  

My goals for the next 90 Days are:
1.  Get Healthy - Loose 15 pounds and exercise 5 days a week. 
2.  Get My Business Profitable - Increase revenue by 30%.
3.  Get Out There - Go out and have fun at least twice a week.   

Just writing these goals down cause me to breathe heavier with challenge and with excitement.
So, Day #1 has been filled with accountability and moving forward. 

I've always talked about writing a blog.

•    Write a Blog  (Complete.  Started on Day 1)