Plugging On

The sky was the same colour all day today - grey. In fact, the light didn't really change one bit today. I am longing to see a really vibrant and burning sunrise. It seems that winter is dragging on and on. Yet, when I was in Vancouver last week, the flowers and blossoms were in full swing so there is hope on the horizon. This is the time of year where faith and focus comes in really handy. It's hard to hold on to thoughts of summer when the winter wind keeps pounding the snow in full force.

I find myself in this position in my life sometimes - wanting the period of renewal to begin after a long time of inactivity. I think 2010 is going to be an amazing year filled with many surprises. I just want to start seeing some them now instead of waiting for the tulips to bloom.

No Break

It doesn't matter how tired the sun is, it has got to rise every day. Me, on the other hand, I can pay attention to when I need more rest. That day was today. I did arise at sunrise but jumped quickly back into bed for what the Brit's call a "lie-in". We spent over 12 hours travelling yesterday and I was just plain knackered.

I think it's important to pay attention to fatigue because my guess is that it is responsible for most meltdowns. Take, my kids for example. They had a few meltdowns today. I am sure that is because they are also tired and jet lagged. I have some compassion for their little bodies but I still find it challenging to accept their meltdown behaviour outright. Instead, I am attempting to help them understand that they are tired and need to pay attention to that tiredness instead of taking it out on the rest of us.

Storming

It was raining when we got up today at the crack of dawn in Vancouver. I watched the "sunrise" from the airplane. I use quotation marks because there wasn't actually any sun at all. However, once we rose above the clouds, it was heaven. Isn't that always the way? When you rise above your circumstances there is always a solution. It is usually the change in perspective that allows for the possibility.

The other reason why rising above your circumstances usually solves your problem is because you essentially "chunk-up" to a higher purpose. Usually, in this higher purpose your problem dissolves because there is a much bigger picture involved. I have found that problems usually exist in the "details". If you dissolve the details then you can usually dissolve the problem.

The Other Direction

While I was walking this morning on my last morning walk in Vancouver, I noticed a very gray sky. This is common this time of year. However, much to my surprise in the opposite direction was a beautiful sky. In fact, it was a stunning sky. If I hadn't turned around I never would have noticed it. It was in the opposite direction.

How often have I looked in the direction that I am going and missed the beauty in the opposite direction? In fact, I always say that the solutions we seek are not in our direct path and often lie in our periphery. In this case, it was 180 degrees in the opposite direction. What if it were that easy? What if we just have to turn around and carry on?

Snowing in Whistler

Not much sun today because it is snowing this morning in Whistler. It's the wet snow that is so telling of the west coast. It's heavy and thick and coats everything it touches. Sometimes I feel heavy and thick and needing to cling to something as well. Maybe it's the same experience.

We have only 2 days left in Vancouver and this whole Olympic experience has been a whirlwind. I'm glad for the break in breathtaking beauty. It gives me time to get packed up and organized to go home. It also makes it easier to leave this gorgeous place.

A Day Off

There are clouds in the sky today. The sun is obscured. It is taking a day off. The last few days have been so spectacular. It's kind of nice to have a break from constantly looking at how beautiful the sky is so as to be able to focus on other things, like packing. We have only one night left in Whistler and we have to get our gear together and get organized. We love being here and our experience has been awesome. But we really needed a break from all the breathtaking beauty to be able to concentrate on the necessary tasks.

It's like that in life. There are necessary tasks that need to get done and it takes focus to actually get them done. They are not the glamorous tasks but they are the necessary ones. I don't really like doing the necessary tasks but I do recognize their importance in my life. So I do them with diligence and give them my all. After all, the way you do anything is the way you do everything!

More Whistler More Beauty

It's never-ending here. The beautiful skies just keep going and going. The sun must be getting tired of being in the spotlight for so many days in a row. I know that I do. In fact, twice this week, I have gone to bed before my kids fell asleep. I am tired of always being on the go. I think it's important to recharge my batteries although I often remember this when I am over tired and therefore already grumpy.

I am looking for ways to build the recharging right into my routine so that I can keep ahead of burn-out. I'm not sure if it is simply a matter of doing less or more an issue of taking time each day to refill my tank. This, of course, requires knowing what exactly refills the tank. It seems to be a process of trial and error. What isn't?