Make Room for Quiet

One of my favorite parts of the day happens before the world fully wakes up.

Coffee in hand (or Monster, sorry Mom).

A quiet walk through the garden.

Eire exploring every interesting smell she can find and secretly stealing tomatos.

Lola, of course, watching all of us as if she's supervising the entire operation.

Nothing remarkable is happening.

And somehow...

Yesterday morning, I was watering my wildflower garden when something unexpected happened.

I discovered a female praying mantis.

As the water splashed over her, she stopped what she was doing and began carefully cleaning her eyes.

I felt terrible.

Apparently, I had interrupted her morning.

So I held out my hand.

To my surprise, she climbed right on.

For a few quiet moments, we simply looked at each other.

I thanked her for visiting.

Then I told her, "Now get to work. Eat all the buggies."

I also promised her that if she blessed my garden with an egg case this fall, I'd protect it with my life.

As I walked away, I realized something.

That tiny moment would have never happened if I had been rushing.

    If I had been checking my phone.

        If I had been thinking about the next meeting.

            It happened because I was present.

Our world is incredibly loud.

Sometimes we think we need another podcast, another meeting, another opinion, another notification.

Maybe what we really need is a few quiet moments to notice what's been there all along.

This Week's Reminder

When you slow down, you don't miss life. You finally begin to notice it.

Happy Monday, friends.

Until next time, keep leading with strength and living with purpose.

-srt

#MotivationalMonday #Leadership #LiveWithPurpose #Nature #Mindfulness #ReaCoachingandConsulting

Growing at Your Own Pace

I've been thinking about our conversation on Monday.

About how easy it is to compare our lives to everyone else's.

If I'm honest, comparison still sneaks up on me sometimes.

I'll celebrate someone else's success...

...and then quietly wonder why my own journey seems to be taking longer.

Have you ever done that?

Maybe you've watched someone receive the promotion you hoped for.

    Launch the business.

        Write the book.

            Find the relationship.

                Retire.

                    Travel.

Whatever it is, comparison has a way of whispering that everyone else is moving forward while we're somehow standing still.

But that's rarely the whole story.

Imagine walking through an orchard in February and deciding every tree is dead because there isn't any fruit.

You'd simply be looking at the wrong season.

People aren't much different.

• Some are planting.
• Some are growing.
• Some are harvesting.
• Some are healing.
• Some are gathering the courage to begin again.

Every season has purpose.

The problem begins when we expect our life to follow someone else's timeline.

As a coach, I've learned that comparison usually isn't about the other person.

It's about the story we're telling ourselves.

    Maybe we're behind.

        Maybe we're not enough.

            Maybe we should be somewhere else by now.

                But what if none of those stories are true?

What if you're exactly where you need to be to learn what only this season can teach?

Coffee Conversation

Before we finish our coffee together, I'd love for you to think about one question.

Where are you measuring your life by someone else's timeline?

Don't rush to answer.

Just notice.

Because awareness is often the first step toward freedom.

This Week's Reminder

The goal isn't to grow faster.

The goal is to grow faithfully in the season you're in.

Until next time, keep leading with strength and living with purpose.

-srt

P.S. Happy Birthday to my brother, Chris.  I hope this season fills your cup with endless joy.  xoxoxo

#ThursdayThoughts #Leadership #Growth #LiveWithPurpose #ReaCoachingandConsulting

Stop Comparing Seasons

This week, I caught myself doing something I know better than to do.

I looked at someone else's life and thought,

"They're so much farther ahead than I am."

Maybe you've been there too.

Social media has a funny way of convincing us that everyone else is blooming while we're still trying to figure things out.

But then I stopped.

I remembered something I often tell my coaching clients.

We're not all living in the same season.

        Some people are planting.

            Some are harvesting.

                Some are rebuilding after a storm.

                    Some are quietly healing.

                        And none of those seasons is more valuable than another.

Nature never compares spring to autumn.

Each season has a purpose.

So does yours.

This Week's Reminder

Don't compare your beginning, your middle, or your winter to someone else's bloom.

Happy Monday, friends.

Until next time, keep leading with strength and living with purpose.

-srt

#MotivationalMonday #Leadership #Growth #LiveWithPurpose #ReaCoachingandConsulting