During my personal spiritual retreat last week, I took a day to drive the three hours to Glenwood Springs to meet with my new coach, Jeff Patterson. We spent most of our time sitting on rocks at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers. Later that day, I spent several hours upstream on the Roaring Fork, taking in her gifts.
I did not consciously know it before sitting there on that beautiful summer day, but I had been starving for the river.
As a child and teenager, I spent a couple weeks of most of my summers playing on the banks of the Crystal, Roaring Fork and Frying Pan Rivers while my dad fished. I loved wading in the freezing cold water, building forts out of sticks and smashing rocks to smithereens.
The Crystal River near Redstone, Colorado
These Colorado rivers flow swift and powerful with clear water. My dad taught me to respect their pull and never under estimate how quickly I could be taken down river without my consent. When I first visited the east coast as a young adult, I was appalled by how lazy the rivers there seemed to me.
And, then I fell in love with the New Mexico desert and only occasionally noticed the Rio Grande River, even though I have spent hundreds of hours within a mile or two of her. I’ve devoted all my retreat time to the desert and have only ventured to the mountains to ski – again without paying attention to the rivers.
What nourishment had I craved from the river without even knowing?
As a very grounded Taurus, I love being on the land. Often slow to change, I can sometimes resist flow, preferring to plan. The steady roar of the Roaring Fork called me to embrace flow and change with a bit more trust. I could feel my body relax into the flow of the river, feeling the constancy of change – even feeling excited by it!
For the past few months, I have been in the middle of a tremendous personal and professional growth spurt. The mighty flow of the river offered me courage to more fully allow myself to grow and flourish, even as I often feel like a baby beginner . . .
Yesterday, to celebrate the Winter Solstice, I spent time in City Park hanging out near one of my favorite trees and watching (what seemed like) ten thousand geese. A couple of years ago, I “heard” that this particular tree’s name is Grace. which suits her so beautifully. She embodies natural, elegant grace.
As I pondered the gifts of the Solstice, I realized how completely and effortlessly Grace is Grace, the Light that is Grace. As is each of those geese the Light that is each of them. Goose number one: the Light that is Goose number one. Goose number two: the Light that is Goose number two. (I haven’t learned each of their names, yet!)
Without any strain, second-guessing or stress, every tree and every goose in the park is naturally and fully the Light that they are.
So, today, this day after the darkest day in the northern hemisphere, I offer you my deepest wish of this sacred season, given to me by the trees and the geese.
May you pause for a moment now to recognize and fully take in the completely unique Light that you are, a blessing to the world. No need to do anything, no need to be different than you are, no strain, no second-guessing, no stress. Simply breathing into the Light that is you.
“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing Light of your own Being.”
- Hafiz
My business mentor, Peleg, recently completed a client survey for me. For the past two weeks, I have been periodically reading and absorbing lots of information from the survey and asking Spirit to help me know whatever is most helpful for me to know.
No small task. A couple of times I got completely overwhelmed and had to stop.
While on personal, spiritual retreat in New Mexico last week, I finally reviewed everything piece-by-piece and felt some concepts integrating inside me.
Here's the one I'd like to share with you today: one of the comments in the survey indicated that I need to decide whether I am a business coach or a spiritual coach.
After initial annoyance, I am so grateful for that comment.
I have chosen.
I chose both. More accurately, it's less of a choice and more of a truth. I AM both. Spiritual coach and business coach.
How great is it to run our businesses from our spiritual foundations?! I am privledged and honored to support people in growing themselves and their businesses at the same time.
Spiritual coach and business coach. Okay, I'm out of the closet.
And what great value to my clients: two for the price of one. Spiritual coach and business coach. (And, mentor coach to coaches.)
Glad we cleared that up!
I’ve just returned from four days of personal, spiritual retreat with a meditation focus in the New Mexico desert. I’ve been on many such retreats and every time I’m there, I tell myself I MUST do it more often.
All that quiet, all that open space, all that natural beauty, all that allows me to drop into meditation as I walk, as I eat, as I contemplate . . . simply being there, breathing, walking, soaking it in . . .
When I’m there, I feel most naturally me. I know God in every moment, whereas in the city, I don’t tend to notice God in every moment.
Is it easiest to know God in nature or is it specific to each person? I would love to hear from you. Where and/or when do you feel most naturally you? When do you most notice God?
I also love spiritual retreat because I've given myself time to just be and then notice what I'm drawn to - usually in the form of reading, writing or projects. I feel as though I am challenging myself with, "Who am I without computer or television?"
On this particular spiritual retreat I found myself drawn to spending time to really take in responses from my client survey, asking Spirit to help me know what's most important for me to know. What could I learn about what people most value and appreciate from me? What could that tell me about how I can better serve?
I also found that finishing Seth Godin's book, Tribes, gave me some wonderful clues about leadership and how I might best lead.
On one of my walks, I spontaneously created the Ann Strong Roadside Beautification Project and collected 96 (But who's counting?) cans and bottles from a 1/2 mile stretch. Great exercise and a beautiful outcome! And, more road to cover on my next spiritual retreat! Ah, job security . . .
And, I wrote a tribute.
The Earth's Joy
Surrounded by the Earth's unfettered
majesty and beauty,
I give thanks to the glory of God.
Cradled in Her presence,
Fed by Her bounty,
I give thanks to the abundance of God.
Rejuvenated by Her full acceptance,
Refocused by Her clarity and grounding,
I give thanks to the love of God.
Inspired by Her quiet power,
Awed by Her radiant simplicity,
I give thanks for knowing I am one with God.
Dedicated to Sunshine Valley, NM
Sangre de Cristo Mountains
I am so excited about waking up tomorrow morning, getting in the car, pointing it south and heading to New Mexico for four days of personal, spiritual retreat!
My intention is to take a spiritual retreat every season. My last one in August, I feel hungry and overdue.
Here's to all that wide open space and soothing silence . . .
I'll catch you on the flip side!
