Yes, it is Monday. Maria and I, along with our fabulous assistants, Kim and Eva, spent yesterday with six amazing, beautiful, deep, courageous women. As always happens, there are no accidents and the perfect number of people showed up, connected, and supported each other truly in each moment.
To Kim and Eva ... you held all of us with such ease and grace -- thank you!
To Maria ... you are a woman of great courage, strength, perception, and love! I was moved to witness you in action in this land you call home.
My learning?
Well... from this vantage point, a day later, I can tell you that we have different life experiences and ways of moving in the world given the different experiences and surroundings and influences ... but we are the same.
Some time has passed. It is now Wednesday, 9:30am, here in Poland. I want to post something now for all of you who have been following the adventure. Yet there is no way I could begin to explain what has happened in the last 48 hours. Let me say that personal challenges for Maria have been huge. Challenges for both of us around lack of sleep and energy have been enormous. And I have wanted to jump ship and catch the next flight home.
Yet, what is the learning here? What are the tools that we are learning in Leadership that are meant to help us lead in the world? I've written about them before. We've got:
- Stay
- Ask for help
- Co-Create and Create From Other
- Presence to what is here NOW
- Follow your urges
- Don't Assume
So... I asked for help and my support system poured out their love, ideas, and mostly their supportive holding from afar and reminder that I am strong and able. Very often I have remembered to come back to NOW, stop traveling to the future or the past. Once back here in NOW, Maria and I have shared assumptions and inner truths, tears and laughter, fears and options. For me, just having the deeper connection with another human being, just being heard and having the opportunity to listen, is enough to bring me back to NOW where really everything is always "okay".
As for that co-creating stuff? Well, when a two room apartment and two people find themselves suddenly with a dog (and, as Maria knows, dogs are not my favorite animal!) and shortly thereafter a 12-year old daughter, well... what to do?
Come back to the moment and co-create with what is here now of course! Adapt, be flexible, appreciate the miracles, and realize how very little I really "need".
And what shows up when we are here now? Well, this dog is a lover! He has the most gentle personality and nothing but pure love for both Maria and Eva. Then there's Eva. My first impression of this delightful girl was "bubbling spirit". She oozes joy and energy, life and love, child and mature being who truly cares for others.
So what can be co-created when two overwhelmed women allow themselves to be touched by the energy of these other, younger beings? Well, miracles! And a trip to the TexMex restaurant owned by a Polish/American couple. And simply a change of perspective. And games! Eva and I played last night and intended to bring out Monopoly this morning. And love ... oh my the love that Eva showered on both of us.
And you know what else? Deep, restorative sleep. All of us received the gift of rest last night and a chance to begin again. And we did begin. And in this last hour, Eva and I have installed the driver software for Maria's phone after Maria and Eva managed to get Eva's memory card into Maria's phone. So ... more co-creating! Pretty amazing.
I do need to sign off now. I am SO blessed!
What miracles are waiting for you to notice today?