• Act confidently.
  
  
• Be masterful in your communications and actions.
  
  
• Achieve a successful career transition.
  
  
• Become an authentic leader.
  
  
• Receive the recognition you deserve.
  
  
• Fully enjoy both your work and leisure.
  
  
• Live abundantly.
  
  
• Define who you are beyond your career.
  
  
• Express your creativity.
  
  
• Discover and develop your legacy.

Savor Your Harvest

This year’s Napa Valley harvest has been amazingly abundant. At this time of year it’s a juggling act: coaching practice, marketing efforts for the Roadmap as well as putting on my “Farmer Hat” to process the tomatoes, luscious peaches, juicy grapes and olives on the days that Mother Nature decides Her crop is ripe (Mother Nature doesn’t use Outlook Calendar for Her business!). One morning as I was feeling the tension of too much to do, I picked up an article interviewing the poet, Nikki Giovanni and read “A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are.” 

Nikki’s message tells us that if we want to make changes in our lives, we can get ourselves back into action by being in the present and acknowledging the good qualities we already have. She challenges each of us to STOP and appreciate the fruits of our personal harvest as we go through our lives. This new starting place can create the energy to begin taking small, incremental steps towards the changes that we want for our future.

In my coaching practice and through my research, I’ve learned that introspection is the first step to successful life changes and transitions. Introspection leads us to savor the juicy grapes we already have that will give us the energy to keep moving forward. If you truly desire a change in some part of your life, take a look at the following questions and start your own introspective process Starting Now!

• How do I stop and acknowledge who I am becoming and the qualities I value about my life? 
• How do I acknowledge the steps I’m taking each day that are sustaining me as well as moving me a step forward toward my life vision?
• How can I build this introspection into a daily practice in my life?
• Who can I ask to support me in keeping this practice that will keep me in positive action?

So before you get back to your “to do list” take a few moments to get back into the present, to find the juicy grapes and Savor Your Harvest. 

===========================

Copyright 2008 Mary Radu, Pathmaker Coaching.  All Rights Reserved.

Read more free articles by Mary Radu or subscribe to the Pathmaker E-zine by completing the form on the left.

Editors, publishers & webmasters: You may reprint these articles free of charge if you follow our reprint guidelines.