Yellow

From the moment I woke up this morning I could feel the quicksand.  Do you know the feeling?  Where even the thought of doing the next anything feels like slogging through three feet of pudding wearing flippers?

I filled my coffee.  Sat down.  Scrolled through updates on my phone.  And then just wanted to crawl back into bed.  Everything just felt too… hard.

I’m not sure when something in me decided to fight back.  I forced myself to get up, pulled out some exercise clothes, found my shoes… second guessing myself the whole way. Right up until the moment I stepped outside the door and onto the front porch.  From that point I was committed.  Still not happy about it but committed.

One thing I have done in the past on my walks is take photos.  It helps me to stay grounded and in the present moment.  Aware.  Today I decided to try something I had used for a “quarantine school art lesson” with Benjamin.  I had given him a color and he took photos wherever he found that color along our walk.  We talked about perspective and framing and really were able to soak up the time.

Now, I know if I were to just pick a color, I would pick one of my favorites and I really didn’t want to just gravitate toward the regular or expected.  So, I pulled up a random color generator (http://randomcolour.com/).  The color that popped up was a yellowish, kind of light goldenrod. 

Yellow?????!!

Really??!

Well, sh*t.

Yellow was definitely not the mood I was wearing.

But I have this weird little obsession with “meant to be” and so I decided to roll with it.  I pulled out my phone and took a photo of the next yellow thing that caught my eye.

It’s curious to me how forcing my spirit to focus on something real and present, right in front of me, will draw me out of myself and my tendency to get stuck in the muck of my mood.

As my eyes began to fix on the world around me, my senses sharpened, and my sluggish energy seeped away.  I found beauty in places I wouldn’t have looked before.  In peeling paint as well as the flowers. 

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Kits: Spring Collection by Cottage Arts & Weekend Away Page Kit by Across The Pond

Toward the end of my walk I happened upon a yard full of yellow accents of all kinds.  A woman was tending the yard and I commented on the cheerfulness her yard exuded.  We started chatting, keeping our social distance but obviously both of us hungry for some human interaction.  I left with some gorgeous yellow gourds that had grown in her yard, some lovely photos, and a new friend.

I continued home and suddenly realized that my mind-set had been thoroughly transformed.  I was ready for the rest of my day now.  The three feet of pudding had receded, and the flippers were nowhere to be found.

The thing is, it’s hard to be blue around yellow.

Living A Better Story

If your life to this point was published as a novel, what would the title be?  Do you have regrets?  Things you are proud of?  Moments you treasure and that feed your soul when you need them?  Moments that are pushed to the back of your mind to protect yoursStory Articleelf from pain?

Each one of us is living our own unique narrative.  A typical story arc in writing is composed of the following:

  • There is a main character (often referred to as the “hero”)
  • There is something that character wants
  • There is a crisis, obstacle or complication that must be overcome to get it
  • There is resolution

We will find ourselves repeating this arc throughout our entire lives.  The details of the arc might change, but our experiences follow the typical story arc pretty closely.

What happens when the hero of a story doesn’t know how to overcome their obstacle?  Or even discover what it is they really want?  Often an author will create a character to act as a “guide.” The guide does not take over the narrative or usurp the hero role but acts as a support and mentor to the hero, enabling them to accomplish their mission.  One very excellent example of this is found in Star Wars – A New Hope.  Our hero is Luke Skywalker.  He wants to be a Jedi and fight the dark side of the Force.  One of the obstacles to this mission is that he does not know how to use or control the Force.  The character of Yoda steps in and becomes his guide.  Yoda does not “rescue” Luke or perform Luke’s tasks for him.  Instead he guides Luke to the answers he already has inside him.

What makes a story worth telling?  Riveting, flawed characters who are redeemed before the resolution.  A “mission” that has deep purpose.  A crisis or obstacle that others can relate to and requires deep struggle.

Your life is your story. 

Where are you in your current narrative?  Are you still searching for your mission or purpose?  Have you reached an obstacle that is hindering you from finding resolution?  What do others see when they “read your story?”

My purpose as a coach is to be your Yoda.  Are you ready to live a story worth telling?  Pick up your pen and give me a call!