Sometimes, life has a funny way of showing us what we need most. This summer, I had an interesting experience that shifted my perspective on abundance or should I say, profoundly impacted my view of lack. It all started with a small patch outside of my studio where I planted zinnea seeds for a second year. They had been so impressive the first year and I was excited to watch them thrive again over the summer. Despite my best efforts, nothing took root. I felt a bit defeated staring at the bare soiI. I really let it bum me out. It wasn’t a very impressive view for my clients to look out onto during our sessions. I knew that my reaction to the seeds not taking wasn’t rational, yet I couldn’t shake it. I realized that I was taking on the failed flowers as a metaphor for my state of mind at that time, I was relating my inability to grow the flowers to a feeling anxiety that had been growing in my mind because I had gotten hyper focused on a feeling lack. Then something unexpected happened. A volunteer cherry tomato plant sprouted in the very same spot where my flower seeds had failed. Some little bird, or squirrel ‘deposited’ a seed right where I couldn’t get the flowers to bloom. My mom swears it was from the compost that she gave me from her yard, I like the idea of an animal leaving it. However it got there, it was growing stronger by the day. As the weeks went by, that little plant flourished beyond what anyone could imagine. It grew to over eight feet wide and six feet tall, yielding hundreds of little tomatoes. It seemed like every day, there were more bright red tomatoes waiting to be picked. I made meal after meal with the fruit. One harvest inspired me to make the best balsamic, mozzarella tomato side dish for a dinner party of 12 and we even had leftovers! Anytime a friend stopped by I begged them to take some it was impossible to keep up with the production before they burst and spoiled. As my girlfriend Lisa was busy picking away at the gargantuan bush, all the sudden hit me, why in the world was I allowing myself to feel stuck in lack? Sure, this plant wasn’t printing money to pay my electric bill, but I didn’t buy one tomato all summer and I shared the abundance with friends. Life was showing me how abundance can show up in the most unexpected, yet beautiful ways. When I was able to slow down and appreciate this gift, I recognized the value of letting go of control. Abundance often shows up where we least expect it. When we hold on too tight to what we think should be, we can miss a gift that is right in front of us. Shifting my mindset to one of gratitude for what did show up gave me permission to nurture and share the abundance with those around me.

How do you reset from stress? I was lucky enough to travel to Spain for a coaching conference at the end of October. What an amazing experience I had, both the travel and the conference itself. Unfortunately, I came home with covid which totally threw off my plans of hitting the ground running. With no choice but to give in to my malaise, I rescheduled all of my appointments and began the cycle of sleeping for 15 hour stretches over the next 10 days. We make plans and God laughs That was the thought that popped into my mind as I reluctantly buried my head in my pillows. The original Yiddish expression is ‘Man Plans, God Laughs.’ When the little voice in my head said those words, all I could do was laugh to myself, “Alright”, I said to the empty room, “I get it Universe, you win!” I had such great momentum in my coaching business and a well laid out plan to keep it going when I was back in the States. Having to pivot for covid could have derailed me for the remainder of 2024. Luckily, through my personal journey and coach training I have become well practiced in stress management. I didn’t always have my stress under control. There was a time in the not too recent past that lived in a constant state of survival. My big Ah-Ha was realizing that I was the primary creator of my own stress . By staying busy and frazzled, I was unconsciously avoiding deeper feelings and truths that I wasn’t prepared to face. As Thanksgiving arrives a week later than normal this year, making Christmas less than a month away, it seems a good time to talk about stress. Whether our stress stems from being so excited to host and wanting to have everything just right for the big meal, or we are dreading a family gathering and what Uncle Bob is going to say to embarrass everyone, this is the perfect time for a reminder to slow down and take a moment for yourself. Oh yeah right Annie, how is there time for that, you ask? Not only is there time, it is crucial to take it so that we don’t burn ourselves out. Even if it is just a 20 minute break, going for a walk, doing one less thing on your to do list, it is so important. Filling your bucket first makes us all much more able to give to others from compassion versus from resentment. If it all feels like too much, consider this, when you feel yourself becoming stressed, don’t fast forward past it. Take a moment to consciously look at it. Sit with it and ask yourself, where does this stem from? Are you feeding into your stress? What do you have control over? Now, I am not saying that this week is the week to unpack those deeper feelings, just become aware of them. Since many of us will be with family, there will be opportunities to see old habits and patterns arise. And, just as we created those patterns and habits that aren't serving us any longer, we can replace them with new healthier thoughts and behaviors. That is what I love about coaching. There is science behind changing our behavior for the better so that we can live a calmer and more balanced life. Interested in learning more? Book a Clarity Call with me , I’d love to hear about your holidays and what you’ve discovered about yourself. Who knows, maybe you’ll uncover a pattern that you are ready to break.