July 2010
Okay, will someone please tell me how it is already July? This has been a full, productive season so far. My schedule for this month includes several new clients coming on board, a leadership team retreat I’m facilitating, a coaches’ conference, a videotaping to prepare for, on-site team coaching work, a number of 360’s to debrief, plus my regular blocks of coaching sessions. I absolutely love my work. We have terrific houseguests arriving tomorrow, and a couple dozen friends coming here for dinner and fireworks on the 4th. These are happy events that make life fun (and worth cleaning the house for hours). The fact that my refrigerator is empty, the garden needs weeding, my checkbook hasn’t been balanced in months, and I just got a haircut that makes me look like the Flying Nun (not good news for someone facing a videotaping session) are small things. Striving for perfection is a distant, dusty dream that no longer has any allure.
What does draw me these days is finding my rhythm in the midst of such busy times. Pacing myself is essential to keeping my balance and stamina. My days start at 5:30 a.m. with yoga and then quiet time. Without those two things my day never seems to flow smoothly. My coaching calls are in the morning because that is when I think best and when my dog sleeps (and I apologize right now for any random barking you may hear on occasion; you never know when an intrepid squirrel will invade the deck). Most days, I break for a mid-day walk which refreshes me. I eat lunch at my desk. I’m often on-site with clients in the afternoon. If I’m feeling stressed, I stop for a few minutes to breathe, do some visualizations, stretch. My office is filled with pictures of family and friends, and mementos of places and times that are special to me. I call my family members often and keep up with their lives. It is important to me to invest time, love and energy in relationships. I adore my eclectic group of friends; they keep me grounded and real.
One of the reasons I write this monthly Musing is to share glimpses of me without my coaching hat on. Like each of you, my life is full, rich, sometimes frenetic and often messy. While I always strive to cultivate a peaceful presence, there are times that things spin too fast. This reminds me all the more of the importance of maintaining a serene center. I hope that as you go about your own life and work, you remain mindful of those things, big and small, that ground and center you. May your summer be filled with good work, good fun, and good friends.
Sharon
Sharon Keys Seal