My sweet little green convertible drove past 175,000 miles yesterday as I was winding through yet another seemingly untouched portion of Texas. Over the last two years, we have logged over 100,000 miles together traveling this magnificent state on roads that are new and smooth and a few that unfortunately, were not. Never in my wildest visions and dreams did I ever think that I would spend this much time driving or that I would spend this much time traveling Texas. What struck me yesterday as my little car passed this milestone with me was that I have driven in almost all 50 states of this USA without a GPS. Now, driving alone in Texas, my GPS has become an oddly close friend.
Having driven so much in the past without one, I was very skeptical and leery about even owning a GPS. We had a hard time together for a long time because it just couldn’t be trusted. When it would send me in a direction that made absolutely no sense, I would not mind it, second guess it and continue to travel the way that I knew would be best. It got the blame when I was lost no matter what. I would test it in Austin, where I live and if it didn’t send me to a favorite location the way that I would normally go, it would confirm to me that I was going to be right more often that it was.
I freely admit, now, how wrong I can be. One day I was traveling, again, in the middle of nowhere when I made a conscience decision, for no particular reason other than probably boredom, to once again not mind my GPS directions. I ended up on a nine mile stretch of deeply rutted dirt road much too narrow to turn around in. The trees on either side were thick and heavy and I started to sweat and breathe a little too hard feeling a little too fearful. My little car is very low to the ground so it took me an hour to travel these nine terrible miles. It took me just under an hour to decide that it was time to mind my GPS without question.
Since giving my power to my newly found old friend, I have seen places and things that have blessed me. In the middle of nowhere, I have driven around a corner into a wide open space and seen sunsets as big as the whole Texas sky. I have seen deer, goat, cows and many other amazing animals enjoying their natural habitat. I have visited small diners in remote places and had the best coffee and meals offered with the sincerest of smiles. I have seen magnificent homes on top of hills, in the middle of open spaces and tucked up against their barns. I have seen ranch gates that looked like the entrance gates to heaven and ranch gates that were modest, private and small yet equally as welcoming.
I gave power to my GPS and it opened my eyes and led me to new and now cherished experiences. I have to wonder, what else I might be holding onto that in its release, I may be blessed. What are you holding onto that you need to give up control over? An unfaithful customer? An unhealthy business or personal relationship? A commitment that drains you of both energy and time? An employee that is a bad egg and will always be a bad egg? A time management system that is not working?
I talk to my little car and yes, she talks back. She is digging the scenery as much as I am and we’ve decided that here just might be another 100,000 miles in us both. I don’t talk to my GPS any more. Didn’t do either of us any good when I did. Now I just give her control and enjoy the ride.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Your Own Truth Serum
I stayed in bed very late this morning. Until long after the sun had risen and I could see through the small horizontal high window in my bedroom a teeny part of the tree branches of the only tree in the backyard. The branches were dancing in the wind and telling me that being quiet and listening to the truth serum in my head was okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. In rhythm.
2011 is going to be my year of calm and quiet. At least my intention is that it starts out that way. The book (Recipes From A Life: Essential Ingredients for your Business Success) will be released in just a couple of months and I need to be quiet and centered until then. My life is going to change and I am excited deep in my bones for this new adventure of change. I dream realistically about where I am going to let this book take me. The places I will travel and the people I will meet are all on my vision board.
But first, I needed this morning. Today is my Baby Casey’s birthday and I needed to relive his birth and slowly let my mind wander over the last 19 years of his life and my world with him in it and now with him in it less and less. These last six months have been filled with changes in direction. Some good; some not so good. But all meant to be as God does nothing that isn’t intentional. Praise him.
I stopped writing last Fall. On August 6th to be exact. I wrote two things late last summer that wreaked havoc in my life and the lives of some people around me. Writing is a passion of mine and my words caused people to stop speaking to each other and changed the course of some relationships. Not in a positive and happy way; in a devastating way. This was not my intent, at all. My intent was to show love and admiration. To show passion and respect. Instead, my very own words broke my very own heart.
So what did I do when my passion hurt other people unintentionally and unexpectedly? I stopped. Cold turkey. As I lay in bed this morning watching the naked tree branches dance, I realize that this wasn’t a good thing. I know my intentions were pure and honest. I know I bore no ill will. And I know that it is time for me to start writing again. Even if I only pick up my pen to write in my gratitude journal each night five simple lines about what I am grateful for that particular day. I can’t leave my words bottled up inside any longer. I have too much to share. It is time to let my words heal my own heart.
As I proofread the book for the final time, I think about all my potential readers and the passion that they are putting and will put into their businesses. As they work themselves to the bone and drag themselves home at night to their families, what can I say to keep them going? What can I say to inspire them to stay true to their passions and excellence no matter the consequences? What can I say to keep them on course if what they are doing IS the right thing and they know that satisfied ‘life is good’ feeling?
I can only be honest and tell them that if they do not follow their heart, they will be dead inside. Just as I have been since August 6th. If they don’t stay true to themselves, that they won’t be able to look in the mirror or see inside their own heart. If they don’t honor themselves, they will waste time reaching toward their dreams and goals and they won’t be working their plan. And if they don’t get QUIET every now and then, their focus will be lost or misplaced.
I had an appointment this morning that cancelled. That is the only reason why I had this opportunity to stay tucked in and focus inside myself. It is time for me to write again. It is time for me to start living again. It is time for me to get on with book tour travel plans. It is time for me to totally energize myself from the inside out. It is time.
Thank you, God, for the quiet, the trees and the truth serum. Thank you, My Casey, for growing into such an amazing man. Thank you to all the small business owners out there that pour yourselves into your businesses every single day with everything in your heart and soul. I know exactly what you are going through. The good and the bad; the up and the down. When you are rich and when you feel poor. My hope is that I will be able to write words that help you to stop and reflect and enable you to empower yourself and relieve some pressure. I pray that you too will soon have an unexpected day to luxuriate until the sun comes up basking in your own truth serum.
Coming soon: annmaries.org
Yes, you can follow on Twitter: recipesfrmalife
2011 is going to be my year of calm and quiet. At least my intention is that it starts out that way. The book (Recipes From A Life: Essential Ingredients for your Business Success) will be released in just a couple of months and I need to be quiet and centered until then. My life is going to change and I am excited deep in my bones for this new adventure of change. I dream realistically about where I am going to let this book take me. The places I will travel and the people I will meet are all on my vision board.
But first, I needed this morning. Today is my Baby Casey’s birthday and I needed to relive his birth and slowly let my mind wander over the last 19 years of his life and my world with him in it and now with him in it less and less. These last six months have been filled with changes in direction. Some good; some not so good. But all meant to be as God does nothing that isn’t intentional. Praise him.
I stopped writing last Fall. On August 6th to be exact. I wrote two things late last summer that wreaked havoc in my life and the lives of some people around me. Writing is a passion of mine and my words caused people to stop speaking to each other and changed the course of some relationships. Not in a positive and happy way; in a devastating way. This was not my intent, at all. My intent was to show love and admiration. To show passion and respect. Instead, my very own words broke my very own heart.
So what did I do when my passion hurt other people unintentionally and unexpectedly? I stopped. Cold turkey. As I lay in bed this morning watching the naked tree branches dance, I realize that this wasn’t a good thing. I know my intentions were pure and honest. I know I bore no ill will. And I know that it is time for me to start writing again. Even if I only pick up my pen to write in my gratitude journal each night five simple lines about what I am grateful for that particular day. I can’t leave my words bottled up inside any longer. I have too much to share. It is time to let my words heal my own heart.
As I proofread the book for the final time, I think about all my potential readers and the passion that they are putting and will put into their businesses. As they work themselves to the bone and drag themselves home at night to their families, what can I say to keep them going? What can I say to inspire them to stay true to their passions and excellence no matter the consequences? What can I say to keep them on course if what they are doing IS the right thing and they know that satisfied ‘life is good’ feeling?
I can only be honest and tell them that if they do not follow their heart, they will be dead inside. Just as I have been since August 6th. If they don’t stay true to themselves, that they won’t be able to look in the mirror or see inside their own heart. If they don’t honor themselves, they will waste time reaching toward their dreams and goals and they won’t be working their plan. And if they don’t get QUIET every now and then, their focus will be lost or misplaced.
I had an appointment this morning that cancelled. That is the only reason why I had this opportunity to stay tucked in and focus inside myself. It is time for me to write again. It is time for me to start living again. It is time for me to get on with book tour travel plans. It is time for me to totally energize myself from the inside out. It is time.
Thank you, God, for the quiet, the trees and the truth serum. Thank you, My Casey, for growing into such an amazing man. Thank you to all the small business owners out there that pour yourselves into your businesses every single day with everything in your heart and soul. I know exactly what you are going through. The good and the bad; the up and the down. When you are rich and when you feel poor. My hope is that I will be able to write words that help you to stop and reflect and enable you to empower yourself and relieve some pressure. I pray that you too will soon have an unexpected day to luxuriate until the sun comes up basking in your own truth serum.
Coming soon: annmaries.org
Yes, you can follow on Twitter: recipesfrmalife
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