Summer Reflections

Where do I start? It was a long summer with lots of changes. In the beginning there was the alone phase, on Kauai, away from my family, with lots of time to think. Probably too much. I say that because I started going to the "dark side", projecting into the future and imagining all the things that could go wrong. I purposely didn't read the papers, but just checking my e-mails would get me going·. Bush, Iraq, the economy, the stock market, the possibility of a hurricane. All of these fueled the fires of worry. When my family arrived my older daughter, Makaela, brought a friend and now instead of just me, there were six of us sharing our space. I no longer felt alone, but instead of enjoying the moment I was still preoccupied with the future and how world events might negatively effect me.

And then I experienced my profound phase. In the middle of all this musing, I ran into an old friend who reminded me of something I had forgotten. "It all comes down to choosing limitation or possibility."· two voices going on in our minds·. which one do we choose? After this brief encounter, things seemed to shift for me. The next day, a friend and I, went on a difficult two-mile hike along the Napali Coast to a favorite spot where this picturesque river flows into the ocean. The flowing water calmed both my mind and spirit as I sat there in the river, watching the ocean and thinking that it had been much too long since I had been there. I was feeling the most peace I had all summer. Just before sunset we began the hike back. But this hike out was different than any other. On our way up the trail, we came upon a young man, Jay, who had become dehydrated laying motionless on the trail. We sat there with Jay for two hours while two other hikers went for help. At that moment I realized that the most important thing in the world was to be with Jay until help arrived. Having to be absolutely in the present finally got me out of my self and those two old warring voices were finally silenced. As help arrived we hiked out in the dark, in the pouring rain, using the one flashlight we had but Jay was safe.

In every moment, on some level, we're choosing what we focus on. I'm reminded of a classic Native American story:

A grandfather was sharing with his grandson how he was feeling. He said "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one and the other wolf is the loving, compassionate one".
The grandson then asked him, "Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?
And the grandfather answered: "The one I feed."

So what can we take away from all of this. Usually when we're angry weâre afraid and when we think of limitation we're also afraid. The two most powerful forces in the universe are love and fear. To find peace in ourselves and in the world we need to keep loving even when we're afraid. We always have a choice as to which voice we feed. It's up to each of us to honor that in ourselves. If each of us can embrace more love and possibility, then the possibility for the world can be much more than we realize.

As you begin this next season let me know what you discover. I love receiving your many responses and feedback, and if you have other stories to share let me know about them. Feel free to pass on this letter to the friends in your circle and let them know about the advantages of being on the journey.

Journey On

mark@inspirepossibility.com
(415) 453-5016

Mark Susnow, formerly a trial attorney for 30 years is a coach, speaker, and group facilitator. He's inspired hundreds of people to believe in themselves and to achieve their goals and dreams. Contact Mark to discover how you can benefit from coaching and his ecourse. Be sure to visithis website. www.inspirepossibility.com - Here's what one of his clients had to say.

"After playing six years in the National Football League I was fortunate enough to make a great transition into the business world. All the traits that had helped me to reach my dream of playing in the NFL were now being used to enhance my business career. From the first meeting, you asked the questions that helped me figure out what was really happening in my life. We defined priorities and developed specific strategies to address the issues. You have recommended books that are truly inspirational and have helped me convert that inspiration into an action plan. You have helped me to reaffirm my personal beliefs and values which have brought me so far. The journey of life is easier traveled with a Map & Directions. Thanks forhelping me find my way."
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