So here we are on day 182, 6 months in (bar the shouting).

It’s definitely getting tougher to get the photos, days of cloudy sky’s and rain. Walks are getting shorter and some of the routes are not a pleasant slipping and sliding in wet boots as they are in bare feet (in the summer).

Here are the shots from today, walking down (by/near) the river that has featured a lot in the past and I’ve been avoiding recently as it’s not so pleasant but still smiling and still wearing the shades.

My request would be that these photos should never be looked at as about me (even though they are invariably photos of me).

The invitation is always to look beyond what you see (me) and see the rest of the picture.

The brightness of the sun.
The blueness of the sky.
The fluffiness of the clouds.
The ripples on the water.
The greenness and vibrancy of the trees.
The... (you get the point)

And see how you feel. What you can notice when you take the time, when you look closely. And to read whatever I have shared to see how that resonates and ask yourself the questions (if there are any)

All of this reflects in our personal and business lives.

Always look beyond what you first see (and feel) and learn to understand where that response may come from. Then look beyond it to see what is there to be seen and how you can respond to that.

Question(s):

What do you see? (in the picture)
What do you see? (when you look closer at your surroundings, your successes and your struggles?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #lookbeyond #lookclosely #lookdeeper

2 minutes (of silence) is not very long when you are reading the names on the wall, and these are just the names of those in this cemetery (at the end of my road).

So, I took some extra time to read them all and to go and stand by some of the commonwealth pattern headstones that are on the graves that have been identified/located (to my knowledge there are others that are waiting identification and headstones).

I’m not a fan of war but still have respect for those that served and those that lost their lives. They stood for something, I doubt it was their ‘choice’ most of the time, but they did it and many paid the price.
So, while remembering them, lets also remember what they died for.

(My interpretation) That they believed they were protecting something, protecting their families, their countries, their values, their beliefs and (ironically) their way of life that was worth dying for.

So, to flip that on it’s head what have you got to live for?
Family, friends, passions and the impact you want make.

Let’s all do it by living rather than dying.

#RemembranceSunday #poppy #lestweforget

Today I saw the sunshine but by the time I got out to take the photo it was raining. (So took the 1st photo anyway).

Then about an hour later the sun came out again and I managed to get 2nd photo with some sunshine and blue sky.

These two photos got me thinking about Time/Timing and how, no matter what, we need to take the actions to get stuff done. That some points in time are better than others and sometimes a little patience can help to get the results you want, but more than anything the consistency of positive actions that matter.

To prove the point my cat came and sat on my lap.

To many that may not seem like proof, but it was the first time ever (in the 2 years I’ve had her). She is a friendly cat, likes to play, to fight, to rub against everything, to meow at me and jump on my bed in the middle of the night when she wants to get fed, to be stroked (little strokes behind her ears/on her shoulder, but not big, long strokes), and prefers to be brushed. But never (until today) comes and sits on my lap.

Now, it could easily be that with the nights drawing in and the clocks changing that I was simply sat in the seat (my office chair) that she likes to sit on in the evening.

But I’m going to put it down to giving her the space she needs, the attention that she likes and having the patience for the day that she would make the choice.

So, in summary Time and Patience.

Questions:
Are you giving yourself the Time, Patience and Opportunities you need to achieve the outcomes you desire?

#BusinessCoach #BusinessCoaching #TimeAndPatience #timing #lapcat

A missed opportunity is not always a bad thing, sometimes it opens you up for something else.

This morning when I left the house the sun was in the sky, but I chose not to take my photo.

Then when returning at lunchtime it was predictably chucking it down so again no photo. About 10 minutes later a saw a little shaft of sunlight through my window so rushed out to a clear sky one way and dark clouds being blown the other.

Question:
What opportunity do you think you have missed recently?
What will you find around the next corner?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #opportunity #missedopportunity

Photos are in reverse order today and had me thinking about how fast things can change.

Torrential rain this morning so as when there was some sunshine around lunchtime I went out to get my photo.

Then the two sunset photos. As I left the house around 6pm there was an orange hue in the air. I tried my best to capture it and thought I had done a pretty good job (with the lighter of the two photos). But then as I walked back down the road only a few minutes later it got both darker and brighter at the same time. So took what is now the main (orange) photo.

Then I ran. I ran to the river (only 2-3 minutes away) to a bridge I have used in previous photos.

Hoping for the same bright orange sunset alone the river. But it was gone. Tucked down behind the buildings of the town centre, the sky returning to a dark grey and all the buildings in shadow.

As I said, things change. Sometimes they change faster than we think is possible and other times they change so slowly we barely even notice them (I have a feeling I’ve talked about that before).

The beauty of noticing, paying attention (to the here and now) is that when they do change quickly, we were at least there. We get to enjoy them for what they were.

Questions:
What is changing for you?
Is it too fast, or too slow?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #ThingsChange #noticing #hereandnow

Photos are in reverse order today and had me thinking about how fast things can change.

Torrential rain this morning so as when there was some sunshine around lunchtime I went out to get my photo.

Then the two sunset photos. As I left the house around 6pm there was an orange hue in the air. I tried my best to capture it and thought I had done a pretty good job (with the lighter of the two photos). But then as I walked back down the road only a few minutes later it got both darker and brighter at the same time. So took what is now the main (orange) photo.

Then I ran. I ran to the river (only 2-3 minutes away) to a bridge I have used in previous photos.

Hoping for the same bright orange sunset alone the river. But it was gone. Tucked down behind the buildings of the town centre, the sky returning to a dark grey and all the buildings in shadow.

As I said, things change. Sometimes they change faster than we think is possible and other times they change so slowly we barely even notice them (I have a feeling I’ve talked about that before).

The beauty of noticing, paying attention (to the here and now) is that when they do change quickly, we were at least there. We get to enjoy them for what they were.

Questions:
What is changing for you?
Is it too fast, or too slow?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #ThingsChange #noticing #hereandnow

The first at lunchtime the seconds about 4 hours later.

The first when it was dark and grey and I just wanted to get the photo done, the second when the sun showed up.

This had me reflecting on how I’ve been feeling and how I’ve been showing up this week.

Basically, I’ve not been well, not Covid, no complicated story, but nowhere near 100%. So, I’ve had to make choices about where, when and how I showed up.

I did what needed to be done, I was where I needed to be when I needed to be there. But not much else and I’m comfortable with that.

#showup #showupforyourself #showupeveryday #justshowup #showingup #businesscoach #businesscoaching

Extra photo of some HUGE mushrooms that I spotted on my walk.
Extra Question: What mushrooms are they?