This time it was about expectations, and how we handle them. Connie brought up that she doesn't start with an expectation. An intention can move to a goal, and then move into an expectation. She lives in intentions, which resonated with me since an intention is something I can do for myself. An expectation can really be a heavy lift at times. Mike mentioned Disneyland, and how as parents you rush from one thing to another to another because we (adults) know how to work the park. But it can potentially take the joy out of the experience for the youngsters. His son wanted to get out of line and go do something else. He obliged and that trip today is remembered as one of the best. Kathy also said that her son wanted Mickey pancakes, and it took about an hour or more to do that - and while she kept thinking "we are wasting precious time" her son was enjoying every moment of breakfast and each bite of pancakes, and yes - for him too- it still comes up when they talk about that trip. I have literally RUN my kids from ride to ride to hit the great ones first because "you'll miss it if you don't do it this way" but - what did I miss by not allowing them to orchestrate the day. My take away for this is to be more mindful of the little ones and listen to their requests while letting my expectations of what "the best way" is. And Lori mentioned that life may have taken a turn that blew any expectation you may have had out of the water. While I think the pivot she chose is amazing - I know her expectation of what life would look like right now is different then the life she has. If you reflect back to: "I thought I had to keep everyone happy!" I thought my relationships would follow a certain path!" "I thought I'd have it figured out by this age..." "I thought my success had to look a certain way." Are there expectations you may be holding onto now, without realizing it? Does disappointment come from expectation? Connie mentioned a book called "1000 names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are" by Byron Katie.

“Not everything needs to be figured out quickly. Some things are meant to be understood slowly.”

“Kindness is not something you do. It’s something you are.” -Raktim Ganguly

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” - Ram Dass Sometimes the answers that we're looking for are hard to hear over the noise of rushing, reacting, and filling every moment. When things are quiet, we can truly notice what’s been there all along... a thought we’ve been avoiding, a truth we already know, or a small nudge about the direction we want to go. I often sit on my deck and look up at the tall trees and reflect, plan, or am intentionally still. My best ideas show up in moments like that. How about you?

Thanks to all who came to hang out for the Fireside chat! Our discussion Tuesday was about different seasons of life, and what season are we currently in. Building, Resting, Changing, or some other season? Building - Effort and Momentum Resting - Restoration Changing - Transition and Adjustment Building energy being directed outward toward "new." New skill, starting something, achieving goals, investing time and effort into the future. Resting energy is life inviting you to slow down. Needing quiet and recovery. Less productivity and more reflection. Focusing on health, family, and peace. Changing energy is the in between space. Something ends, evolves, a new thing that isn't fully formed yet. This can feel uncertain or uncomfortable. It can be questioning your direction, transitioning at work, in a relationship, or with your identity. It is letting go of things that once fit but don't any longer. @Connie Riet @Kim Harrison both mentioned that you can do all of these in a 24 hour period, and I hadn't considered that! I was focused on trying to define one that fit me - when indeed, all 3 of these were present on the daily. The overarching wisdom from the group was to find "bucket filling" things to achieve, to stay sane and guard your well being. Take advantage of all the seasons, and focus on small projects that you CAN accomplish. End the day with 3 things that went well for this present day. This positivity stronghold will set in motion the atmosphere of the next day. Lastly, there is Harvest. Harvest is the season of reaping and appreciating. Seeing the results of things you planted earlier. Signs of this season are: Enjoying the results of past effort, stability and gratitude, sharing what you've learned, and mentoring/giving back. Some of us had glimmers of this season but no one claimed it as theirs. Lovely conversation everyone. Thank you for taking the time to join me. See you next week!