Vol 1 Iss 5

I've been thinking a lot lately about being connected to the earth.

We are looking at buying some land in the south part of Colorado for a home in the mountains. The other night I dreamed that we were discussing what to put in my garden. (Jim wanted onions, which I despise, so we settled on chives.) I remember, in my dream, walking barefoot to the front of the house to see where I could plant nourishing things among the flowers.

Barefoot. There was something rich and connecting walking barefoot on the ground, smelling the dirt. What surprised me is that it didn't hurt my tender feet, which it would do in real life.

And the outcome was to have nourishing things come from the ground. Mmmmm, fresh tomatoes, crispy cucumbers, snappy green beans.

So, I'm curious about your connection to the earth. How does it show up for you? What are your memories about gardens? How can you bring more of the nourishing earth into your life?

The Triangle of Life

Changing a career is tantamount to changing your life. Your entire life structure changes. People you associated with in your previous career are not as prominent as they once were, though it's not unusual to retain friendships. You may live in a different area; you may have a different lifestyle. All of these changes are, hopefully, conscious.

Your life is like a triangle separated into four levels. At the broad base of the bottom is your purpose. What you are put on this earth to do. The next layer is where your dreams reside, how do you want your life to "be?" The next layer is your projects or goals, which are outcomes of the two previous layers, and the uppermost layer, with the smallest area, is the actual scheduling of tasks to be done. The "To Do" list.

When you decide consicously to change your career, the most important place to start is at the base of that triangle. When you understand your core, when you "get it" about your place in the earth, then everything else starts to make a little more sense.

I want to stress, also, that uncovering your purpose is a process. It is extremely rare for someone to wake up and say "Eureka! I'm supposed to FIX THE EARTH!" Your purpose is revealed to you in small increments, in little messages from your heart, in offhand comments from those who know you. In the meantime, your job is to increase your awareness and to make your choices consciously. For some ideas on how to approach this, see Career Tips below.

Too often, we start at the wrong end of the triangle, thinking that if we change our "to do" list we can change our life. It's the other way around. Changing your life changes the list.

As a Career Coach, I can help you through this process. Please contact me at debra@forwardmomentum.com for more information!

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean—

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

It's so simple for me to say "Find your Purpose!" and not so easy to accomplish. What is simple is not always so easy.

Yet, it is simple, really. Your purpose is under your nose, always. It's like the old saying, "If you want to know about water, don't ask a fish." What you are immersed in, you don't see. So, here are some ideas for looking at yourself a little differently.

Go on a Passion Quest. Take a day/weekend/week to follow your heart. There is great value in carving out a chunk of time to devote to this process. Stopping the rest of your life gives you a chance to see YOU and to see what you are passionate about. Let someone else do the laundry for once.

Here are some suggested activities for your Passion Quest:

~ Write your obituary. Include the accomplishments you had at the end of your life.

Who do you need to be to accomplish those things?

~ Give yourself an "A." (a less morbid version of the obituary) At the end of your life,

what kind of person were you to earn an "A" in this life.

~ Notice your reactions and automatic responses. Be a detective about your behavior.

Write down your observations and review them at the end of your quest.

~ Make a list of people you admire and what you admire about them. How do you display

~ Bring along some books. For suggestions, see my book list on my website on the

Resources page. Do the exercises in these books.

~ Keep a journal, not only through your weekend but through your life journey.

~ Write a song or a poem or a story about the perfect life.

~ Paint or draw or sketch what is in front of you. Get lost in the process of putting images

~ Walk. Outside. A lot.

These activities may seem innocent and that you couldn't possibly get anything out of them, but the truth is, when you put yourself in situations that stimulate your intellect and/or your emotions, you will find that creative ideas and connections will happen spontaneously. You are giving your heart space to speak.

Let me know how it goes for you!

What is Un-Retirement? It's a new definition of retirement. Fueled by the Baby Boomers, who never sat still for anything, un-retirement is a time of passion and purpose. Rather than retiring to a prolonged life of leisure, the Un-Retired transition to a purposeful life of contribution and meaning.

Un-Retirement is a time to re-invent your life!

The Un-Retirement Coaching Program helps you plan for your retirement by offering an on-line self-assessment to measure your readiness to retire. It provides a detailed personal assessment of your current personal strengths and areas you may want to focus your attention on when planning for your new future, and the on-going support of a coach.

I am offering several coaching packages at a reduced price until March 15, 2004. For more information and details, click here.

The average age of retirement in the U.S. is 57 years old. People are retiring at a younger age and in better health than ever before. These days, especially with adequate planning, this can be a time that brings enrichment, personal fulfillment and renewal.

The benefits that work has provided have become such an integrated part of our lives that they have been elevated to "needs." Learn what your work has provided you and ways to replace those functions in retirement. Class is 1 hour, cost is $10

In this class, we will visit the major arenas that will need your attention ahead of time and talk about ways to prepare. Class is 1 hour, cost is $10

For schedules and to sign up, visit http://www.ForwardMomentum.com

You are free to use material from Moving Forward! in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

"By Debra DeVilbiss, CPCC, of Forward Momentum, LLC. Please visit Debra's website at http://www.ForwardMomentum.com for additional articles and resources on creating your right livelihood."

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