Returning
Light
Welcome to March, a month of longer lit days
and positive transition.
Did you ever have a month that you wanted to
totally delete from your life? This past
February was that month for me. Which is
why, (whether you noticed or not) my
February Trailhead was not written. The
month started with a nasty stomach virus
that stopped me in my tracks while on a
family gathering in San Diego, continued on
with a few other pitfalls (too insignificant
to mention), yet ended with the sudden and
unexpected passing of a very dear friend of
mine.
Later on, I came across a simple yet
powerful quotation that I read on a
Facebook sharing from a wise and dynamic
Life Coach colleague of mine; Rhonda Main,
Coach, Retreat Leader and potter,
extraordinaire.
"Life is not the way it's supposed to be.
It's the way it is. The way you cope with it
is what makes the difference."
~Virginia Satir~
That quotation became my saving grace in the
midst of my turmoil. The more I read it,
the better I dealt with my circumstances.
Thanks Rhonda!
With that quote as my focus, when March
arrived, I decided to be truly intentional
about my coping mechanisms and really pay
attention to my responses. That meant I also
had to hone my awareness and look at not
only the negatives but see the good things
that were happening all around me. And
that's when I began to notice the returning
light....both literally and figuratively.
Evidence showed up in all kinds of ways:
· A late winter snowstorm in our
area that dumped 10 inches of wonderful
powdered snow that provided a stimulating
snowshoe excursion in the woods
· The happy squeals of joy from
children sledding down the hill near our
local library
· Reconnections with long-time high
school friends who provided great warmth,
support ,and laughter amidst the tears
· Loving embraces and thoughts from
my family
· Emerging buds on the trees outside
my door, that convey the promise of spring
· The chirping sounds of the many,
varied birds at the numerous feeders in our
yard
· Warm, summer-like temperatures
that arrived briefly , just a few days after
the big snow
· Blue sky days
· Sunsets at 7pm instead of 4pm
That simple quotation was a turnaround for
me and helped me notice the positives;
despite the sad and challenging stuff
swirling around. In my training to become a
Coach, l learned some interesting and useful
things about coping and attitude:
· Attitude is a choice
· One's situation may affect
attitude but attitude is still a choice
· Circumstances may affect attitude
but attitude is still a choice
What about you? What happens when you've
been dealt a series of events/situations
that rock your world...either major ones or
simple blips on the radar screen of life?
How do you cope? What choices do you make?
How do you notice the returning light in the
midst of darkness?
