A Moment of Reflection

Courtesy of the World Wide Web

Yesterday I was delighted to have experienced one of the most inspiring founding board retreats I had ever been a part of. We stretched our imaginations and dreamed infinitely about where we could see this organization in 10 years and what its impact would be on communities all over the world. But before we could even look 10 years ahead for the organization, I was posed with a challenge by a fellow board member to reflect on my own life, not looking ahead but looking back at the past 10 years.

When someone asks to you to look back on the last 10 years of your life, it can be a bit daunting. But as this question began to settle itself in my mind and I allowed it to be digested for thought, it turned out to be a revealing and enriching process. At first it felt like watching a movie or film reel of short images that flickered onto screen; memories of all sorts - ones full of laughter, passion, joy, pride, humility, pain, heartache, forgiveness. But as I continued to look deeper, I realized how much I had grown and learned, good and bad and I realized how grateful I felt for having had those experiences happen to/for/by me over the past 10 years.

For many of us, we may look back on our last 10 years and say that we feel pretty good about what we've done and how we've gotten to where we are today. For others, looking back might remind us of how much more we have to go because we're not where we expected to be. Or perhaps we fear looking back only reminds us that we're getting old and we're determined to somehow be that one person who miraculously finally figures out how to stop time.

I'm an avid believer in living in the moment but I also think there is so much value to gifting ourselves the time to reflect. Without it, you wind up at the end of the road with no idea how the heck you got there with no markers, milestones or memories. Reflection affords us the ability to find quiet and peace from the noise around us, to celebrate successes, and to process life changes. Most importantly, reflection provides us with the inner guidance, wisdom, and clarity we need in order to ensure our next life experience is rich and meaningful.

But don't be fooled to believe that reflection is the same as allowing the past to paralyze you from moving forward. There is nothing that frustrates me more than meeting a person who excuses themselves from being a person of greatness because unfortunate or painful situations happened to them in their past. The present, let alone the past does not predict your future. Learn your lessons through reflection and move on so you can get to the real business of the day, which is to answer the question, how do I live the best version of myself today?

The Things We Leave Behind

Courtesy of Lisa Teling Kattenbraker, Artist

This weekend I hopped on the ferry with my cousin to the Sausalito Art Festival. It was perfect weekend weather to be outdoors at an art festival appreciating art, wine and music. Hoping to be inspired but not exactly sure what to expect, I ended up with much more than what I had bargained for. My mind reveled in the imaginations of Alvin Schnupp, Ted Gale, and Juli Adams. And I delightfully donned hats designed by Diane Harty and Kate Bishop that made me want to doll up for the Kentucky Derby. While I enjoyed the hundred or so artists at the festival, one young batik artist named Lisa Teling Kattenbraker struck me most.

One of her pieces, appropriately titled, "The Things We Leave Behind" got my mental wheels turning about all the transitions we are faced with in our lives. Whether created by our own doing or by forces beyond our control, we are presented with these scenarios whether we want to deal with them or not. In order to grow and develop, we have to be able to change. One of the many lessons to be learned in the process of change is learning to let go of things that no longer serve you well. And rather than knowingly stay in a blissful ignorant state or reverting back to days way gone by, the ambiguity that comes with change can be adventurous, exciting and decadent food for the soul. I mean, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but life doesn't work backwards no matter how much you desperately hold on to your glory days of college or how many surgeries you undergo in an attempt to stop a natural human process.

There is nothing more graceful than coming across a woman who embraces life, exactly where she is in the moment. She exudes a quiet strength and confidence that one could never fake. She knows where she's going because of where she has been and trusts that her instincts will steer her in the right direction. She can look back at the things she's left behind with fondness about the lessons she has learned, loved ones adored and lost, mistakes made and sometimes made again, just for good measure.

Whatever it may be for you that you hold on to that no longer serves you - a romantic partner who doesn't value your worth, a friend who is only there for you when it's convenient or easy, a certain lifestyle that only satisfies a status but leaves you spiritually broke, a job that doesn't challenge you, or a hometown or childhood that keeps you from being able to reinvent yourself...your time is now. There will be no next time, a better time or a maybe later that will be more suitable than today. Hiding from your future is a futile exercise in watching your life just pass you by. Moving on is inevitable and rather than treating your life as if you're running standing still, pick up a pen and start writing the next chapter of your life.