#Stopping April 15

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This month I have been doing a lot of STOPPING as part of the #Coach4adayChallenge which is 30 Days of Nature.

My STOPPING amongst nature is planned and intentional. I have STOPPED and listened on the golf course. I have STOPPED on my walks in the neighborhood. I have STOPPED to observe blooming plants, trees, and shrubs. I have STOPPED every time I walk out my backdoor until I notice something alive. All of these pauses have helped me feel less stressed and connected to my priorities.

Here are some pictures of what I have observed.

A colleague called me from out of state last week. He was stressed out and volunteered he had to change something in his life. We talked about all the STOPPING and pausing I was doing this month. I suggested starting a new habit might be order for him also. As we discussed his stress level it was obvious he was responding to ever crisis that was popping up in his life with no regard for its importance. I told him he treated sharpening a # 2 yellow pencil with the same anxiety as escaping from a burning building. He is not proactive with his schedule or priorities but rather reactive. Persuasion on my part attempted to STOP him for a moment. The goal was to take time to think and prepare for what he wants to accomplish.

I shared with him two quotes about planning.

John Wooden said, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”.

Abraham Lincoln said, “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax”

My friend responded that he has no time and he is too busy to plan or prepare. Today it is very easy to get caught up in busyness of our lives and careers and lose sight that planning is important just not urgent. My friend has not STOPPED responding to every urgent stimulus and so he remains on life’s reactive hamster wheel. To get off that wheel you need to get reflective and that requires solitude. STOPPING and observing nature is one way to find that time.

STOPPING and taking time to unplug ,reflect, and think while you are amongst nature is a challenge, but it is something worth starting.