Tuesday's with Tucker: Perseverance

The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Tucker is strong willed and doesn't take "no - no" for an answer easily.   It's endearing actually and reminds me to choose my battles and respect the will of others - unless it's putting them in danger of course.  

The truth is, we all know our limits.  We may not honor them, we may not listen to the little voice inside that suggests we rethink what we're about to do or say... and, as I consider where I went astray in my life, I really did know what to do. 

Struggling is Good...

My son was in second grade and experiencing the usual little boy issues with children in school and the neighborhood.  I was finding my way in where to help and where to allow him to find his way.  His counselor shared this story with me and it's a lesson I've always held close to my heart ever since. I hope it has meaning for you.

This story is attributed to Henry Miller, the writer, about a little boy in India who went up to a guru who was sitting and looking at something in his hand. The little boy went up and looked at it. He didn’t quite understand what it was, so he asked the guru, "What is that?"

"It’s a cocoon," answered the guru, "Inside the cocoon is a butterfly. Soon the cocoon is going to split, and the butterfly will come out."

"Could I have it?" asked the little boy.

"Yes," said the guru, "but you must promise me that when the cocoon splits and the butterfly starts to come out and is beating it’s wings to get out of the cocoon, you won’t help it. It is important not to help the butterfly by breaking the cocoon apart. It must do it on it’s own."

The little boy promised, took the cocoon, and went home with it. He then sat and watched it. He saw it begin to vibrate and move and quiver, and finally the cocoon split in half. Inside was a beautiful damp butterfly, frantically beating its wings against the cocoon, trying to get out and not seeming to be able to do it. The little boy desperately wanted to help. Finally, he gave in, and pushed the two halves of the cocoon apart. The butterfly sprang out, but as soon as it got out, it fell to the ground and was dead. The little boy picked up the dead butterfly and in tears went back to the guru and showed it to him.

"Little boy," said the guru, "You pushed open the cocoon, didn’t you?"

"Yes," said the little boy, "I did."

The guru spoke to him gravely, "You don’t understand. You didn’t understand what you were doing. When the butterfly comes out of the cocoon, the only way he can strengthen it’s wings is by beating them against the cocoon. It beats against the cocoon so it’s muscles will grow strong. When you helped it, you prevented it from developing the muscles it would need to survive."
So often, what seems harsh or cruel in nature, is in reality wisdom and kindness for the time ahead.

Start with an Intention

So much has shifted in my life since my last posting!  I have so many thoughts, so many experiences each day and the idea of writing them all down - eloquently I might add - seems burdensome.  AND - I'm being called to do it!  Over the course of the past two weeks at least 4 people have said "you should blog about that" or "you should put that in writing."  So, here goes.

My intention is to Blog at least once a week.  Hmmmm.... we'll see how that goes eh?

Since we are half way into 2010 - looking back isn't my preference.  However, to get you up to speed:

I celebrated my 45th Birthday in February and am so appreciative of where I am in my life today.  It's been quite a ride and I finally feel like my feet are on the ground.

At the end of 2009 I officially changed careers.  I left the corporate world behind and am now blissfully happy as a Certified Co-active Life Coach in my own practice.  The rewards have been rich and plenty. 

At first it was a bit awkward learning what it means to be self-employed.  I had spent so many years doing the 9-5 thing that the idea of not actually having to go somewhere felt almost depressing.  Okay, it was depressing!  I felt like I'd been fired and the fact is, it was my choice. 

I couldn't figure out what was so depressing about it until my husband said "honey, you didn't quit your job,  you "changed careers."  Ahhh... that felt so much better.  I was so busy wondering if I was nuts to "quit" a perfectly good job, especially with the economy the way it was, that I hadn't considered the opportunity I had in front of me.  I was doing exactly what I wanted to do.  Fascinating how a shift in wording can make all the difference in the world eh?

Which leads me to now....

My days are filled with client calls, building my coaching practice, attending various networking events and pondering life as it unfolds in front of me.  I love my job!

On family note:  We have a new addition to our home - Tucker.  Tucker is a 2 month old, curious, energetic, sweet gray tabby cat.  He was a gift to me for Mother's day.  My son decided it was time to bring a baby into the house again.  Little did he know this would turn his once sane Mother into a complete knuckle head when it comes to the care and feeding and TLC that a kitten of this cuteness requires! 

As a side note:  Two of our three cats went to heaven in 2009 and our last born, Timber was seemingly down and lonely.  It's taken Timber a full month to adjust and I'm pleased to say he is now a worthy mentor to the little bundle of energy. 

As you may have surmised, Tucker has been quite the focal point and thus, he will have a page specifically dedicated to his life.  Look for his page:  Tuesdays with Tucker.  I'm not sure how Timber will feel about this... and perhaps Timber will get Thursdays.... though I think if I went that far, my husband and son will likely have me committed! 

In peace and love,

Robyn