Taking the time to see
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Greetings!
 Above my
kitchen table
hangs a framed block of 32¢ stamps issued in 1996 of Georgia O'Keeffe's Red
Poppy. The artist is in profile. There is a quote too. And because it lives in a spot I see every time I walk into my kitchen or sit down at my small round white table for a meal, it is a daily reminder of something I aspire to always:
"Nobody sees a flower, really - it is so small - we haven't time, and to see
takes time, like to have a friend takes time."
As I walked Lily Lu this morning, I thought about how hard - even with this daily reminder - it is for me
to sustain being in the moment, fully present to who I am with or what I am experiencing. And so at that moment, I
stopped thinking. I started "seeing." My senses
completely attuned to the here and now of Lil and our walk.
I saw Lil snuffling along the ground on the alert for a morsel of food or a
tantalizing smell. When she found a smell worthy of her attention, she
made it her own as she threw her sturdy body down onto the ground. First she
dragged her neck through it. Then she rolled onto her
back and ecstatically wallowed until she and the essence and the path were one. Lily Lu, being a dog, lived
in the moment. She does all of the time. Me, being a human, can only seem to do it in brief intervals.
Having Lily Lu for almost six years now has taught
me more than anything
else what it means to savor the moment. To revel in this time because
when it passes, it is gone. And because of Lil, I am in the moment more often.
For I know from experience that when I take the time to "see," in the same way that Lily Lu zestfully embraces life, I receive wondrous gifts: an
oriole streaking orange brilliantly across the sky, the piercing call and response
of northern flickers, the joy I receive when I take the time to "see" a friend.
Joan Hopkins, this month's Quest Maker, has learned from the dogs she works with what I have learned from Lil: "You have to be with them; you can't be thinking about the
mortgage or what you've left undone at home. The animals pick up on it
and they act on it."
Having a dog takes time. Choosing to share being in the moment with a dog? Oh, what a gift of seeing we receive in return!
PS. Joan's favorite flowers
are sunflowers. (Photo: © hotblack)
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Meet Quest Maker Joan Hopkins
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 I first learned about Joan
Hopkins from reading Changing Course, one of
my favorite e-newsletters. Joan, like me, had attended one of Valerie
Young and Barbara Winter's Work at What You Love seminars. When she began working at what she loved, she sent them an update, which Valerie included in her newsletter.
In 2002, Joan was able to take a 4-week paid sabbatical from her job and used that time to do some serious soul searching. While on her sabbatical Joan turned 50. She wanted to give herself a meaningful birthday gift and embarked on a week-long volunteer vacation working with animals, a life-long passion of hers. As a result, she became interested in becoming an entrepreneur working with animals when she reached her mid-fifties.
Thanks to
her sister-in-law (and now
business partner) Karen Harght, Joan made the leap from corporate America to her first love much sooner than she expected!
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June Journal Sparker
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With its questions and exercises, a Journal Sparker aims to spark reflection or inspire you to take the next step on your journey to where you want to be.
Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve...You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love...
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In this month's Journal Sparker, you'll find a resource for exploring your passions through volunteering.
We've created a cover sheet if you'd like to begin a Journal Sparker binder.
Download the Journal Sparker Cover
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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? 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 Your Next Quest. 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. Start your journey now by sending me an email 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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