Mystery
Photo: I shot this photo in the Santa Elena Canyon on our last hike in Big Bend National Park before heading back to Austin. All week I kept telling my family how badly I wanted to see a snake on our trip. This guy poked his head of a stream that I was crossing as we headed across the sand, back to our car.
Life is not a thing to be managed, it’s a mystery to be lived. Anonymous
In my career coaching/consulting office in Central Austin, where I have been seeing clients for almost 10 years, sits a red heart-shaped box filled with some of my favorite inspirational and reflective quotes.
At the end of each coaching session, clients get to choose (blindly) a small folded piece of paper from this box to take home with them.
My clients really enjoy this little ritual. I think it’s because they love knowing that the box is filled with 250 quotes from teachers/authors from across the continents and centuries and that maybe, just maybe, they’ll receive just the perfect words of guidance needed to support them in taking that next step. And, almost always, this is the case. (In fact, I’ve had clients choose the same quote multiple times, even though there are 250 quotes that are being replenished each month!)
Similarly, while attending a wonderful Intuitive Arts retreat a few weeks ago, one of the most popular activities was the opportunity to draw a Medicine Card (a practice based on ancient Native American wisdom that teaches about the healing power animals bring us based on their specific qualities or abilities). This fun and insightful exercise—which may be perceived as “woo-woo” by some, was quite inspiring.
My seven-year old and I recently caught a radio interview with one of the foremost experts in the world on Nessie—the Loch Ness monster—and Big Foot. The interviewer, John St. Augustine, was musing on why people continue to be so captivated by these stories, even though many scientists believe these figures are simply folklore. (My son—like I was at his age—is completely mesmerized by the idea that Nessie and Big Foot are out there somewhere.)
I believe it’s because the mysteries, synchronicities, serendipities and the “unexplained,” are what make us feel alive and remind us that life is more than to-do lists.
Life’s mysteries help us to feel more connected to each other and to our humanity, to what is possible, to our unique and yet-to-be manifest potential.
When I speak to large groups about life balance and self-renewal, one of the things I hear over and over again is that people are craving more meaning in their life (many right now rank spiritual renewal as a top priority on their list), a greater sense of connection—to self and others—and they want community.
I’ve always looked for and reveled in the mysteries of life and believe this is what being human is all about. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Happy Easter-I’m off to hide and hunt for eggs for the third time this morning!
P.S. Needing some time to really reconnect with who you are and be reminded about the mysteries life offers us every day? A retreat is a wonderful way to do this. Join us at my Spring Self-Renewal Retreat for Women—we only have a few spots left. What an awesome Mother’s Day gift!
Do you have a copy of our award-winning book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life? If not, sign up for my life balance newsletter at www.reneetrudeau.com today and receive a free download of the book in your inbox over Mother’s Day Weekend May 8th-10th (for 48 hours only). Feel free to share this amazing gift—a $20 value– with your friends around the globe! For women of all ages, the book has received rave reviews.
The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to life balance and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly. Subscribe here. For more information on Renee’s upcoming events, click here.
