Vision of Grace: Stuck in a Snow Bank

As we enter Christmas week, this is a time I reflect on 2013 to plan for 2014. As I reflect, I am reminded of a story from the close of 2012 and how it prepared 2013.

This is a story of Vision of Grace: Stuck in a Snow Bank; and June 2013 several of my peers reminded me once again of this story and the awkward moment of being “stuck”.

1. Where are you stuck?
2. Who is in your snow bank to help you get un-stuck?
3. Do you have a mentor?

Excerpt from Potential² Manifesto:

     Having mentors in life keeps you on track, un-stuck, and accountable to Potential². I know the word “accountability” may excite you or a little nauseous, but this is the way to living your Potential².  This past year one of my mentors, Paul Martinelli, took me to task, by halting my let’s get down to-business attitude. While on this call with teammates, Paul had let us know how he was doing. I want to be courteous to my teammates by not asking Paul the same questions, such as “how are you today”. So, when I engaged in conversation, I stated, “Paul, sounds like you are doing well, and you know I am all about business, so here is my first question.” Right then Paul halted my thought process and said, “Well let’s not get down to business; how is the family? What are you planning for the holiday season? What traditions do you have? What traditions will you start? Where do you envision spending the holiday’s five years from now?”

From the first question Paul asked, I was stuck; I could not answer any of the questions. There was painful silence, stuttering, and disbelief; I could not quickly and openly answer personal questions to my friend and mentor. Several of my team members witnessed the awesomeness of the awkward moment. Yes, awkward is awesome, painful accountability awakens us to a new level of creativity and Potential².  From this call I knew there was some adjustment in my thought process, potential, and intentionality in my business and personal joy. I tabled this to the next day when my husband and I would be on the cross country skiing trail. This is always a great time for me to meditate, reflect, and let go.

While on the cross country ski trail this is the mantra that came to my mind and I repeated with each pull, push, and slide: live it, breathe it, and vision it. What was I living? Where was I dedicating my breath? What is my vision of personal and professional success? My mind started to clear to a path of Potential². As the path was clearing in my mind and reasons of the barriers and how to push them out of the way, a barrier on the ski trail appeared. There was a dip in the trail. There are two choices to ski the barrier. The first choice is to do a quick hop, skip, and jump over.  The second choice, I decided to play it safe by slowing down, slide in and out of the dip.

By playing it safe I got stuck. Literally I was stuck in a snow bank; by my slowing down, both ski tips pushed forward into the snow bank instead of sliding in and out. I was now living a Looney Toon Cartoon with both tips of my skis stuck, the back of the skis sticking out into free space, my torso and face flat into the snow bank; my backside was the only thing my husband could see as it was sticking straight in the air. The first thought was not how to get unstuck. My first response was pounding a fist on the snow and saying darn you, Paul Martinelli! You see, it was not his fault I was stuck; it was mine by playing it safe on the trail and in life. Just as on the call the day before, I was playing it safe by not living my Potential².  Paul’s push to the line of intention not only pushed me to a higher level of awareness and creativity but also gave me the title and content of a new book I am working on, Vision of Grace Stuck in a Snow Bank.

“Suspend the need to know how and just step up to the line of intention.”

(Paul Martinelli)

Look UP and OUT my Friends!

T. Worley (2013). Potential² Manifesto