Looking Down and Looking Back – One Woman’s Perspective on Life After the Workplace

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What did you focus on today? Was it the big important thing that is always right there and needs your attention? Or was it the small almost silent whisper that edged its way to you tapping for you to take notice. If it was the latter I hope you decided to #focusandtaketime. Because it is most often in the silence that the miracles appear.

I took this picture last week from my hotel in Dallas. I couldn’t help but think of all the nights I stayed away from my family and was submerged in work and activities based on someone else’s agenda. I loved my team. My work. I loved coaching and mentoring and teaching others to be excellent. Both at their jobs and and as people.

For many years while I did the corporate grind, Dallas was a second home. It was fast paced, exciting, my work seemed to matter and I strived to be really great at it. The view was from way up and everything looked good on the ground. The only problem was that the ground home, far away in New Jersey/Maryland, and I could not divide myself and be in two cities at once. The place I longed to be was with my hubby and my kids…that was the place that mattered. I was home plenty, but I was missing a lot too. It wasn’t the concert here or there or the shows. Every parent misses a couple. It was the little things that no one remembered to tell me. It was little everyday-mundane-seemingly-boring-too-unimportant-to-recount things. I’m still discovering things 5 years later.

It’s like watching a big city from high up. You don’t know what the sights and sounds are on the ground. When you see the movement of the highway and the people and the traffic, you imagine what it sounds like. And you can remain fairly neutral because it doesn’t seem like much. But sometimes there is laughter. And sometimes there is weeping. Other times there is confusion. And every now and then there is a bittersweet contentment. Sweet because you recognize the joy. Bitter because you are too high up to enjoy it.

No matter how much I love a city (and I treasure them) I prefer the whir of my family to the whir of a plane taking off. When you are a work at home mom or mompreneur, there is a delicious banter that will drive you both out of your head crazy and out of your heart happy. No win in the boardroom compares to my daughter, son, hubby and me, taking time to bond over the Bible at breakfast. Can you do it from a distance? Sure. While in between flights? Yes. Running to a conference call? Of course. But the best memories are built from blocks picked up by hand. Because the beat of a city should never drown out the beat of your “most important”.

The portfolio of my Mary Kay business, coaching, writing, and supporting my husband in his ASL interpreting business is keeping me from idly looking out of windows wishing I could hear “what’s going on down there?” Getting to be home to see, hear experience more is worth putting the suitcases away.

What about you? Are you a corporate warrior but wish you could be at home? Are you looking down and out from way high up but longing to be closer to the ground? There are ways to make a plan and start your exit. Let’s talk.

Ready to get your positive energy back in check?  Looking to clean up your self-talk, create a personal affirmation plan or ease your way into releasing your negativity so your positivity can reign?  Complete the questionnaire for a free coaching strategy session.

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It’s Spring…But What Season Are You In?

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Here in Columbia, Maryland it’s Spring.  And although we have had a mixture of cool, rainy days with unseasonably warm days, it’s still Spring.  The trees are full, green and lovely.  Big, juicy flowers line the lawns in my neighborhood.  More animals than I care to count are visiting my backyard.  Mulch is being freshened up.  Folks are getting into the swing of running again, the bikers are getting their legs back and kids are playing outside.  Life is being lived full and out loud and pleasant.  Everything is getting renewed.  Spring is the renewal season.  It starts to seem easy to get started because things are blooming.  It’s a good time!

What about you?  What in your life is being renewed right now?  Are you starting to hear the click-clack of regularity in your fitness?  Your business?  Your relationships?  Are you writing a book and feeling amazing because the chapters seem to be rolling off your pen and onto the page?  Are you reaching your fitness and clean eating goals?  Ain’t it grand?  It is!  So what’s wrong?

What’s wrong is that you might still be in Winter.  In Winter we are not ready to spring.  It’s that simple.  Winter is for Wonder.  The wonder season where one explores, imagines, figures it out and finally pinpoints what next step to execute.  Incredibly encouraging if your goal is to actuate your success.  Incredibly discouraging if you end up comparing yourself to someone else’s success.

Stop it!!  It’s not Spring for you!  You are in the Wonder season and your personal Spring is coming once you stop comparing yourself to other people.

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Imagine a snowflake comparing itself to a lily.  Both white.  Both unique.  Both on the ground.  Both beautiful.  And yet completely…COMPLETELY different.  And Not to be compared.

“But Chatone, I’m not where I want to be yet!  I’m tired of working so hard and not getting anywhere!”

How true is that?

If you have a fear of heights, but want to feel the exhilaration of going down the expert slope, you have to conquer the monorail.  You have go slowly up…there is no way to get down until you get up.  So go.  Slowly if that is what it takes.  Look around.  Wonder at the beauty of the mountain on the way up.  Then get ready to scream at the top of your lungs in joy on the way down!  Success is everywhere…you just have to change up your perspective.

If you want your “Positivity to Reign”, STOP comparing yourself to anyone else.  You cannot walk in their shoes, sing with their voice, dance with their hips, jump with their rope.  If Spring has not yet arrived at your house, look at the beauty of the snow.  Go skiing.  Go sledding. Go iceskating.  Embrace the season you are in!  Focus on what’s good and take time to enjoy it all.  Your Spring-into-Action is on it’s way!

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“Princess of Positivity” Enjoying a Quiet Moment in NYC

Would you like support to get your thinking right so you can spring into your next big thing?  Let me help.  Fill out my questionnaire to work with Chatone and request a FREE coaching strategy session.

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Don’t Miss The Weekly Sunday Corner Show on YouTube:  Bit.ly/ChatoneYT

For Coaching Information:  ChatoneMorrison.com

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