Welcome to our 12th issue of Food for
Thought! We have changed the format a little to make our
newsletter more congruent. Let us know what you think! We
welcome any and all suggestions! Please forward to others you
feel may benefit from this information. Help spread the word!!
Sit back, relax, and enjoy!
"Whine" Selection
Meditation With Your Eyes Open
Bill Shade
Having spent the summer traveling
with my wife I write with mixed emotions! There is a feeling of
comfort that takes place when I return to my home after a long
period of abstinence. As with all things familiar, it feels like
I am where I need to be.
There is also a great deal of
discomfort as I am not hiking in the woods and kayaking the
lakes of the Rocky Mountains. I call these two activities
meditation with my eyes open.
I also have had to return to the
world of work. Sometimes wonder why it has four letters and
sometimes it is perfectly clear why it has four letters. While I
traveled this summer I made a decision to not return to the
restaurant where I had worked for the past two years, for many
reasons. The most important being that it was not healthy for me
to stay in that familiar environment!
Today I realize that the
comfortable is not always healthy. I find that comfortable can
be like that old pair of shoes that I put on and they feel real
comfortable at the beginning of the evening, but by the end of
the evening my feet are killing me because they offer no
support.
Through several months of
meditation with my eyes open, I understand that there are
relationships in my life that are like those old shoes;
comfortable in their familiarity, yet lacking greatly in their
support. This lack of support creates, for me, a feeling of
discomfort that I cannot identify until I remove myself from the
situation that is stimulating me. Once I can get away and see
how this affects my life, I can make changes!
Have something going on in your
life that does not feel quite right? Maybe it is time to get
with Mother Nature and do a little meditation with your eyes
open!!
For more info contact Bill Shade
at wwshade@bcinet.net
His business is One Who Waits. “Turning plate
carriers into professional servers”
Appetizer
Adapt to change quickly. The
quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new
cheese. (Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in
life-whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money, a
possession, health, or spiritual peace of mind.) Spencer
Johnson, M.D.
Main Dish
Enjoy the Ride!
Suzie Dawson
There has been much growth and
change happening in and around me (as Bill mentions above!). So
much, in fact, at times I just want it all to stop! I feel like
holding on tightly and not letting go. Enough already!! How
much change can one person take?!!
That is my ego talking. My soul
says “all right! This is great!! Now we are really getting
somewhere!” (As if we really have anywhere to go!)
It feels as if I must have been
stagnant for years. After all, shouldn’t many of these lessons
been learned long ago? What was I doing all of those years? I
know, but I won’t tell. (At least not today. Maybe in a book
someday.)
Can anyone relate to this feeling
of discomfort due to an intense amount of change? Probably
not. Most of you are in the restaurant business and things
don’t change much there. There is never any turnover of owners,
management, employees or customers, is there? (grin!) So how
can we make this process easier? After all, if there is an
easier way, I want to find it!
Here are a few suggestions. The
first is to stop resisting. The change is happening most times
whether you want it to or not. We can either fight it or flow
with it. I must warn you, this requires a degree of letting go
(oh no, not that!).
The second is to stop and
recognize how far you have come. Just think of where you were
personally or professionally a few years ago. Give yourself
credit for all you have accomplished and focus on that for a
while.
The third is to be incredibly
thankful. Instead of moaning and groaning about all the
changes, why not try a different approach? Wake up each day
with a feeling of gratitude for all of the changes within and
around you. I promise you will attract more positive
experiences with this new attitude.
The fourth is to remember that
while your outside world may be chaotic, you can always seek
solace within. When life seems a little rough, it is the
perfect time to engage in some form of centering routine.
Meditation, Tai Chi and yoga are some of my favorites. If you
have not attempted any of these yet, you may try taking a
5-minute break and focusing your attention on a candle flame.
Anything that will silence your mind and give you some relief
will work.
Keep in mind that this is just a
phase of your life. If it has been rocky for you too lately,
remember that “this too shall pass!” You will be in for smooth
sailing soon. After the storm comes the calm (and vice versa).
For now, lighten up and enjoy the ride!!!
Dessert
The dessert pick for the week is the book
“Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson, M.D. I have
recommended this book before and will do so again. It is the
best book on embracing change that I have come across. It is
extremely easy to read and can be finished in one night. If you
need help looking at change in a new way, get this book! You
will come away with a whole different attitude about change!
Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to
spread the word and we will see you in two weeks. Copyright
2001, Chrysalis Coaching. This content may be forwarded in full
with author’s name, contact, and copyright information.
