QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I’ve come to understand that life ‘composts’ and ‘seeds’ us as autumn does the earth…I’ve seen how possibility gets planted in us even in the most difficult of times.”
-Parker Palmer
IDEA OF THE DAY
Possibility gets planted in us, especially in the most difficult of times.
Navigating life’s challenges can be tough—sometimes it just plain sucks. Yet I’ve noticed that hardship often reveals what we’re truly made of.
Life has its ebbs and flows, and when a difficult situation arises, it’s often a signal that something in your life needs balance and support. For example, my mother recently broke her arm. It’s been hard for her to slow down, though rest is the quickest way for her to heal. But during these weeks of letting others cook for her and receiving care, she’s found joy in simply being on the receiving end of relationships. It’s a lesson in balancing the acts of giving and receiving and flowing between these roles with ease.
Sometimes, difficulty nudges us to take a new path, as it did for me years ago. I loved my work as an international educator but found university politics exhausting. Leaving was tough, but I sensed my path was shifting, so I took it day by day. Had I not listened to that inner nudge, I may never have become the coach I am today, and these newsletters wouldn’t exist (mind-blown!).
In hard times, you discover your resilience and inner strength. The way you show up for yourself and others may even surprise you…and how you handle a situation reveals itself once you’re in it.
I remember a few years back, stranded in Mexico due to a city-wide lockdown during a drug cartel conflict. The uncertainty was intense, but I found an inner calm that reassured me everything would be okay. And sure enough, it was.
So as you navigate the ebbs and flow of this day and week, tap into your strength, be open to possibility, and breathe through the rest.
You got this!
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What is a possibility you’d like to plant for yourself? What is a possibility that is ready to bloom?