July 7th, 2010
Breaking from the Coach Poppy newsletter protocol from delivering the newsletter to your inbox on Wednesday, last week, I sent it out on Friday, my birthday. In my family, we honor and celebrate birthdays in a big way, even labeling birthdays “national holidays.” And while the Fourth of July serendipitously follows my birthday with a figurative and literal bang, we allow birthdays to linger in a celebratory mode for a minimum of a week.
What this does is lay the foundation for carrying positive spirit and joy around for 1 week – 7 days, or 168 hours. Can you imagine 168 hours of feeling joy? We can do this simply by carrying this intention around with us to every encounter we have with all species!
First there is the anticipatory build up of a birthday, and this year was no exception. I had a party here on Friday night, replete with all of the festivity I could muster. And while we love to celebrate birthdays with gusto, I couldn’t help but notice that the beautiful part of the evening was that all of the guests were equally in joyous spirits. How did that happen? Was there something in the water, or rather the wine? The festivity and high energy in my home was palpable in a very obvious way.
And like most Coach Poppy newsletters, it got me to thinking about two things: expectation and intention. Brian Tracy says that: “Your attitude is an expression of your values, beliefs and expectations.” Not only did I expect to have a great time at the party, I expected it. What surprised me though, was that all of the guests also seemed to have a good time. There was festivity and celebration in the air that we ALL created.
William Foster says: “ Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” Make no mistake: my intention was to have a blast – I was so filled with love and appreciation for the guests who shared in the evening.
What if we went into our Tuesday morning staff meetings with a cooperative, celebratory intention? What if we let go of old issues that are conflict-bearing in our relationships? What if we approached a stranger on the street with the mindfulness of joy and serving, rather than passive avoidance?
This past weekend, I headed towards Tampa and took the Tollway. How many of us greet - and actually LOOK at the person in the tollbooth as we pass through? I have so enjoyed greeting by name the person in the toll, and if there are no cars behind me, I will strike up a conversation. The smile I receive is a lovely gift. It truly sets the intention of joy for the rest of the day.
As someone who is demonstrative and enjoys giving affection, it was a fun surprise when someone grabbed my camera to take a picture of two dear friends giving me a birthday kiss. I did not expect that. I did, however, expect - and intend - to enjoy and celebrate my friendships.
Next time you pass through a toll, the el, the subway, the short or long term airport parking station, consider a mindful pause and greet the first person you see as you gain passage. What might be your expectation and intention? What expectations and intentions can you celebrate with colleagues, co-workers and loved ones?
As I mentioned last week, for the entire month of July, my birthday gift to celebrate you, is to offer you a free Coach Poppy 20 minute consultation. Please contact me so we can set forth our intentions to celebrate the best of you!
Mindfully yours,
Poppy
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