Last fall, I took a lovely trip to Barcelona. Many months before the trip, the airbnb and plane tickets were booked. And that was about it for the planning. The travel guide I’d ordered stayed unread until I was sitting on the plane!

As I read, an outline of the week began to form. On a small piece of paper, each day was written down with one big thing to do: a neighborhood to visit, a site to see, an experience that only happens on a certain day of the week…and the trip took shape. There was still flexibility and lots of time to explore, but I had a general plan to work from.

While reading the Rick Steve’s travel book, I saw his philosophy. It included this: “Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something’s not to your liking, change your liking.” What great travel – and life – advice!

When I look back on the trip, I realize this is sort of how I run my life. As I get older, I plan a lot less and roll with life a lot more. I take care of the big, important things early. The details I wait on until I have to address them. Even then, I leave some wiggle room and am flexible in changing my liking. I’ll have to continue to work on being “fanatically positive and militantly optimistic,” but I do try to see the gift in every situation and be trusting about the future.

What’s your style and approach to life? Does it fit who you are, what you believe, and how you are evolving? Where do you need to practice militant optimism or change your liking? Are there lessons in your travels?

Time to book a trip!

p.s. Your comments are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

p.p.s. Last call for Memphians… A small career coaching group is starting on February 5th, and there’s a spot left. More details are here: https://jenfrankcoaching.com/career-group-jan-2018/

 

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I was fortunate enough to take a trip to Barcelona this fall. It’s a beautiful city filled with fascinating neighborhoods and architecture and art – and food!

One of our destinations was a highly-recommended tapas spot: Bar del Pla. We showed up before 12:30pm – very early for lunch by local standards – but the lights were on and there were staff inside. I tried giving the door a pull, but it didn’t budge, so we figured they weren’t open quite yet.

We came back a little before 1pm, and again I tried to pull the door, without success. However, this time I was lucky. A gentleman saw my struggle and kindly said, “Push the door to open it.” And suddenly we had access to a lunch so delicious that we made a point of coming back to Bar del Pla again on another day.

This is a great reminder for me to not make assumptions! I am also fond of the saying “If a door doesn’t open, it’s not meant for you.” I’m a big believer that pounding on locked doors is a waste of effort. But I wonder if sometimes we might need to try something a little different before we give up and move on…

That door you have been pulling on, what if you gave it a gentle push? What if you listened to some advice from a kind observer?

This holiday season, my wish for you is that all of your doors swing open with ease!

p.s. Your comments are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

p.p.s. A heads up for Memphians… I will be running a career coaching group beginning in early 2018. If you want to make progress as the leader of your career and life, details are here: https://jenfrankcoaching.com/career-group-jan-2018/

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The Thanksgiving holiday is a wonderful reminder to be grateful for our many blessings. Remembering the big stuff – family, friends, love and laughter – is often easy. But what about all of the small beauty we may overlook on a daily basis? Below is an Anne Sexton poem to help keep your attention on feeling gratitude for the little things.

If you need even more thoughts to ground you in gratitude (or just don’t like poetry!), here are my blogs from the last few years:
https://jenfrankcoaching.com/2016/11/what-are-you-grateful-for-today/
https://jenfrankcoaching.com/2015/11/grateful/
https://jenfrankcoaching.com/2014/11/gratitude/

Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome Morning
by Anne Sexton

There is joy
in all:
in the hair I brush each morning,
in the Cannon towel, newly washed,
that I rub my body with each morning,
in the chapel of eggs I cook
each morning,
in the outcry from the kettle
that heats my coffee
each morning,
in the spoon and the chair
that cry “hello there, Anne”
each morning,
in the godhead of the table
that I set my silver, plate, cup upon
each morning.

All this is God,
right here in my pea-green house
each morning
and I mean,
though often forget,
to give thanks,
to faint down by the kitchen table
in a prayer of rejoicing
as the holy birds at the kitchen window
peck into their marriage of seeds.

So while I think of it,
let me paint a thank-you on my palm
for this God, this laughter of the morning,
lest it go unspoken.

The Joy that isn’t shared, I’ve heard,
dies young.

p.s. Your comments are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

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