A Thing of Beauty

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of visiting one of the most beautiful places in the Midwest – the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I accompanied my husband, Bob, to a meeting there. Bob is a sculptor himself and has been telling me about the park for a very long time. It was delightful and a bit awe inspiring to see so many pieces of contemporary sculpture situated in beautifully landscaped surroundings. Currently there is an exhibit of George Rickey’s kinetic sculpture that is truly amazing. The pieces move very gently with the wind and they remind me of gentle giants.

I had a weird reaction after being there for a while.

Passion Meets Profession

I will be exploring this topic with professional women in leadership positions on October 17 at the Pathways to Success Conference in Peoria, Illinois. We all want to find the right work-the work that expresses who we are and the work that we feel passionate about.

Passion and destiny seemed closely connected. We think if we are fulfilling or honoring our destinies, surely we will feel fire

Looking for Connection

I was coaching a client yesterday about connection. Recently divorced, she is really wanting connection, and feeling scared because she does not have the relationships she wants right now. I asked her to begin really looking for it (versus paying attention to all of the ways she is not experiencing it.)

What we focus on expands. If you are looking for all of the ways you are disconnected from family, friends, community, that is what you will see. If, on the other hand, you open your eyes to all of the ways you do experience connection, this is what you will find.

I put this idea to the test this morning

Kids and Chores

It is a beautiful fall morning in central Illinois, and as I was walking early this morning, I noticed a couple of kids who made me smile. I was thinking back over the parent talk I gave last week, and the teacher training I did over the weekend. In both settings, I talked about how important it is for each of us to feel a sense of belonging and importance. Without these two, it is hard to stay encouraged day to day. One of the ways I know to create this feeling with kids is to give them important jobs to do. Sharing in the family work of the household, and the responsibilities of the classroom and school, are important ways for kids to develop a sense of “I’m capable and I contribute in meaningful ways.”

So, the first example

Making meaning…

This is my new site. Thanks for stopping by to give it a look. I will be updating it daily to include comments about the things I’m doing – specifically what I’m learning from my coaching clients, and my workshop participants.

For me, it’s all about meaning. I love noticing how we all make meaning from the experiences we have daily. One of the questions I often ask my clients is, “What do you make of that?” In other words, what meaning are you assigning to that encounter with another, or that particular event or experience?

We think we are seeking Truth (with a capital T), but