Are you open to seeing sideways?
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Greetings!
I don't know about you, but when I'm in the thick of my own quest, I can become so focused that I'm oblivious to everything else. While being so single-minded can help us stay on course, it can also keep us from "seeing sideways" or being aware of and curious about what might be on the edge of the path or down a side trail that can enrich our souls or illuminate our own journeys in some way. Two incidents brought this home to me.
Earlier this year, I took a morning walk with Lily Lu, my
4 1/2 year old Corgi mix pup. As she zigged and zagged from one intriguing smell to another, I inhaled spring. In the silence, I heard splashing in the brook below us. Curiosity brought me to the edge to look down and I stood there mesmerized.
In the swiftly running water were four rainbow trout, speckled brown with rosy peach streaks along their sides. Swimming against the stream. Stopping side by side. Letting the water flow over them. Leaping ahead. Rolling over each other. It's instinct for the trout to behave this way. Yet, I can emulate the trout and know that everything about my journey, its fun and thrilling aspects, its challenges and missteps, are all part of the process. If I steadily move on, I will reach my destination too. I walked home revived.
 It happened again this summer when I took Lil for an early evening stroll. In the deepening dusk, we were the only ones on the river bank. I drank in the gloaming and the stillness. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement.
On the opposite side of the river, I could just make out the slate hued feathers of a great blue heron as he glided along looking for fish. Enthralled, I slowly followed him down the river until the giant bird rose from the water and took flight. As he soared, so did I.
It seems to me that seeing sideways only happens when I let my senses wander, when I am quiet, when I am open. Had I remained wrapped in single-minded thought, I would have missed the trout and the heron and the inspiration they gave me.
Linus Pauling has said that satisfying our curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life. I agree. Seeing sideways is being open to curiosity. It's being open to exploring possibilities that may even point us in a new direction, as you'll learn from this month's Quest Maker Judith Shangold.
Straight ahead is not the only route that will lead us to realize our quests. Sometimes being open to what's happening on the periphery can restore flagging spirits or help us contemplate a new direction toward our dreams. As we travel, there's something to be said for seeing sideways. Who knows where it will take us!
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Interview with Quest Maker Judith Shangold
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After a lifetime of professional questing, now it's time for a personal one
Meet sequential quester, Judith Shangold. After owning a retail store in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
for 10 years, Judith then went on to develop a reputation in the yarn world with her own knitwear
designs for human beings, American Girl dolls and Boyds Bears. As a way to give
back to charity, she developed the concept of A Bear in Sheep's Clothing, inviting knitters to donate garments
to dress the bears, which were sold at craft shows with all of the
proceeds donated to charity. In 1999, she quested again and purchased the
distributorship for Manos del Uruguay yarns, developing a relationship with the
Uruguayan women's cooperative that produces this yarn. Having taken the
business to a new level of success, she sold it in 2007. Her newest quest,
though, is not professional; it's a personal one that is still unfolding.
At what point in your life did you decide to embark on this quest?
In 2005 when I turned 60, I started to feel that I wanted to experience my next chapter. I wanted more time for myself and to get away from New England winters. I didn't know how much longer I wanted to continue to make such an investment of time and energy in growing my business. Then someone approached me about buying the business and it felt like the right time to do it.
By 2006, I was finalizing the sale of my business when I had a serious accident. As a pedestrian, I was struck by a car and sustained multiple fractures to an arm, collar bone and leg. I was in intensive care for 10 days and then in rehab for three weeks before I could go home. It was 5 months before I could drive, go back to the office or even knit! Thankfully, my husband and employee stepped in and ran my business, and my knitting friends helped me finish up some design projects.
All during my recuperation, though, I felt a great relief because soon the business was going to be taken care of by the new owner and I could concentrate on getting better. When the deal fell through the week just before closing, I felt as if I had been hit by a truck.
How would you describe this ongoing journey?
I'm 63 and I'm figuring out how I want to spend this time of my life. Retirement poses different questions. Earning an income and having a career aren't my driving goals now. I'm trying to figure out what is going to feel meaningful. I am enjoying pursuing creative endeavors but I need them to give me a sense of purpose.
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December's Journal Sparker
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With its questions and exercises, think of a Journal Sparker as a spark for reflection or action that can help you take the next step on your journey to where you want to be.
Satisfaction of one's curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.
-Linus Pauling, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and Peace
Seeing sideways can be the moment when you decide to satisfy your curiosity like I did about what was making the splashing sound in the brook. Or it can be the moment you decide to explore a possibility and see where it takes you like Judith is doing on her quest. In this
month's Journal Sparker you'll get to practice seeing sideways. We've also created a cover
sheet if you would like to begin a binder for your Journal Sparkers.
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| Do you know a Quest Maker, a woman who has realized her dream?
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Do you know a woman in her 40s or beyond who declared "now it's my
time," and realized her dream, just like Hilary Cooper-Kenny has done? Perhaps she's a friend, a family member, an
acquaintance. Perhaps it's you! If she or you would like to considered for an upcoming Quest Maker column in the Chronicles, please send me an email with a brief description and the best way to reach her.
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| Need an idea spark to ignite your own quest?
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Have you decided that now it's your time to claim your own realm and undertake your own voyage of discovery? Except you're not exactly sure how (or even where) to start?You may need an Idea Sparker to help you figure it out. That's where I can help. Learn more about me at www.yournextquest.com.Take the next step with a free 15-minute consultation with me. We'll talk about where you are now and where you want to be and how I can help you get there.
Learn more about how I can help you at www.yournextquest.com. Start your journey now by contacting me at info@yournextquest.com or by calling me at 781.583.7185.Together, we can start you on the journey to where you want to be!
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