In the busyness of life we can sometimes fall into the trap that we don’t have time to Selah (Pause, and calmly think on that) I use this term to take time out of my busy schedule to get perspective and keep the main thing, the main thing.
I recently had a moment that reminded me that even coaches are prone to being blindsided by this trap. It is always easier to drum it into your clients than to actually do it yourself (blush)….. I had a busy day of meetings and wanting to do some preparation for a client that left me feeling slightly (okay completely) overwhelmed. I was making my way back to the office, running the to do list in my head, which seem to be growing by the minute.
As I was nearing Hamilton Gardens, I felt a little tug to stop and Selah, but thought I don’t have time, just like the white rabbit in Alice in wonderland “I was late, I was late for a very important date.” The second tug was a little harder and got my attention, felt more like a command than a suggestion or invitation. So I entered the traffic circle and drove into the Hamilton Gardens, which is one of my favourite places to go and think.
I decided since I was here I would find the new Concept Garden which had just been opened and I kind of knew where the general direction of it should be, which was just as well because there weren’t any signs to follow. As I walked, I could just feel the peace and quiet coming over me as I listened to the birds and the cicadas and felt the warm breeze and sun touch my skin.
I wandered to where I thought the garden should be and saw the balloon of one of the displays peeping out in the distance every now and then, so I knew I was heading in the right direction. I walked through the familiar tropical garden with all the magnificent colours, then past the Tudor gardens with their pristine hedges and then walked into a garden that has always intrigued me, because it is almost a bit of a non-garden, it is a huge square. It has ivy on the walls and a large square of grass surrounded by bricks and then this giant bright yellow cupboard. I just love that cupboard mainly because yellow is such a happy colour and it just seems quite silly and out of place really.
On this day I suddenly doubted myself as I stepped into the garden because I thought “There seems to be no way to get out” We don’t often go to that Garden because it seems to have nothing really to offer, but today I thought let me just see if there is a way, I walked towards a section that was hidden knowing that the gardens often have ways that aren’t openly visible. As I got to a point I saw that there was indeed a little pathway and then the memory kicked in, but as I was about to turn in to it, a loud mechanical rumble started and I was surprise as the Yellow cupboard suddenly opened and invited me in. I had found the new garden…..
It was a stunning space where I sat in beautiful solitude for a long time soaking up the sun and the silence. After a while I looked around to see if there was a way out, but there seemed to be no way. I was taking some photos when I notice that some people who had entered had suddenly disappeared. So I realised that there must be a way out. I walked to where they had last been and sure enough as I got to a certain spot the way through became evident.
Again I was dazzled by the gorgeous and quirky scene before me and after a few more photos, I looked around for the exit. Yip, I was starting to get the theme….. There seemed to be no way…. but by now I was confident that if I just continued to move forward, a way would open and sure enough as I got to a certain point, the way out become obvious.
The 3 lessons I took away:
Take the time to Selah
Taking time to Selah is always worth it, I went back to my office and crashed out a bunch of work, came up with some stunning ideas for my presentation and training later that week. What felt like a waste of time, saved me so much time as I was in a much better head-space and managed to get the perspective to figure out what was really important.
There is always a way out.
In business we can often face times and circumstance that feel like there seems to be no way forward, but we have to keep moving forward trusting that the way will open up to us. The temptation is to freeze or retreat when we can’t see a way. The more you do it the easier it becomes because you start to build up trust.
Trust the process.
As a coach and business owner, one of the biggest learning curves I have had to learn for myself is that I have to trust the process. I have activator in StrengthFinders, I am super impatient for action, but more and more I am learning that the journey is so much more important than the destination. Slow down, look around you for the lessons, the people and the contribution you can make as you get to the destination.
What do you do to Selah? When is the last time you took some time out?
