Windridge Reflections

I love this.... "A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song." Chinese Proverb "The song of life is born in every soul. But the song we are meant to sing does not come to us whole. It grows in us - louder, stronger, clearer, more fully - over the years until we discover, finally, that our call has been within us all the while. Learning to hear the song within us, finding the call within us, and then bending our lives to follow it to the fullness of ourselves is the key to happiness, to meaning, to fullness of life." Joan Chittister * taken from the book Following the Path by Joan Chittister

Within the next few of days, even if only for only a moment...

    When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins ~    To find the lost,  To heal the broken,  To feed the hungry,  To release the prisoner,  To rebuild the nations,  To bring peace among brothers,  To make music in the heart. by Dr. Howard Thurman  

A friend and I were talking about depression a few days ago. You know, that draining, gnawing, energy zapping feeling that nothing is going right and you are seemingly powerlessness to change any of your circumstances or mindset. And the most depressing part—you can’t put your finger on “why.” In the course of our conversation, I commented that I have so many things to be grateful for…starting with the smallest, I am breathing after all! Then this morning I ran across this, “If we pull down the shades in every room in a house, that house will be in darkness, and is likely to become damp and unhealthy as well, no matter how brightly the sun may be shining outside.” — Emmet Fox I don’t know about you, but I do not want to live my life in a dark, damp, dusty, musty house. It’s time to pull open the shades, let the sun light warm this house, and find strength in all that is good. There is too much of life out there to be lived! *If you suffer with severe depression, seek profe...

“She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful.” — Terri St. Cloud Sometimes we can’t go back; the die is cast, the deed is done…but that does not mean that we can’t move forward with grace and confidence. We all make mistakes, we all say things we shouldn’t, do things we are embarrassed by, and have days when “some of the details are not pretty.” Thank goodness we are not frozen here in time, there is hope! Resilience is the ability to problem solve, connect with others for support and sometimes simply cope, knowing that tomorrow is a new day with new opportunities. “It is the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance. It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance. It is the one who won’t be taken who cannot seem to give. And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.” — Amanda McBroom Image: istockphoto

I don’t particularly like networking events because I’m an introvert by nature. I typically feel self-conscious and awkward. So when I read Peter Bregman’s Harvard Business Review post this week, and found out he feels the same way (who would have known?), I could so relate. Here is a wonderful take away for this last Friday in March: “People will trust you if you trust yourself. And to trust yourself you have to step out from behind the curtain. You have to expose yourself, free of titles and status. When you allow people to see you — as impressive and vulnerable as you are — then they will trust you. Because they will know you.” — Peter Bregman Thank you Peter for putting it so well! Image: istockphoto

I woke up this morning and the first thought that came to my mind was—friends. This is possibly because I was at a Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara gathering last night and as I visited with fellow Hudson coaches, I realized the importance of connection and friendships in all areas of life. For me this looks like: Old friends —Those tried and true souls who have stood the test of time through many years of life’s transitions and changes. These are the friends I may not see or talk to for years, but because of “history,” when I’m with them, it is as if a day has not passed since we were last together. Close friends —Some of these are “old” friends, some of these are newer friends, some of these are family, but all of these are the people who I feel “safe” with when I share my inner most secrets, hopes, dreams, fears and insecurities. And they love me anyway. Business friends —This category is filled with clients and colleagues. These wonderful people value the relationshi...

I remind myself of this every day - "In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet... Some will test you, some will use you, and some will teach you. But most importantly some will bring out the best in you." ( from Marc and Angel Hack Life - Practical Tips for Productive Living )

Last month I wrote a "Things I Want" list and one of the identified items was, “I want to have comfortable friends.” Today as I reread last month's thoughts I wondered to myself, so what is a “comfortable” friend and what constitutes a comfortable friendship? Is it the amount of time one spends with a person, is it proximity or identical preferences; what makes this special bond? I decided to take a little bit of my Saturday afternoon and jot down what makes a comfortable friend for me. Attributes of a “comfortable” friend, and thus, a comfortable friendship: We laugh, we cry, we rant, we tell secrets, we hold confidences and we know when to be silent. We listen. We respect each other’s strengths, and encourage each other to overcome our weaknesses. We speak with honesty, seasoned with grace. We forgive when boundaries have been crossed. We stand up for each other when the other person is not present. And at all times we can be ourselves, knowing that we a...

Recently I read a post by Alan Weiss that perfectly describes the way I feel when The Fog of Life clouds my vision. I'm looking toward the breakers about 200 yards away. But I can’t see the beach or even the water because of the fog. Last night on the boardwalk at Wildwood you couldn’t see the top of the ferris wheel or the roller coaster.  The fog is caused by atmospheric conditions. Water droplets are formed when cool air is over warmer ground in most cases of fog on the surface (unlike a cloud). It can be quite opaque or at best translucent.The fog is caused by atmospheric conditions. Water droplets are formed when cool air is over warmer ground in most cases of fog on the surface (unlike a cloud). It can be quite opaque or at best translucent.  But I know the beach is there. I know the roller coaster is still on its track. And if I move forward, the fog disperses and I can begin to see those things closest to me all the better. There is fog in all of our lives at ...