The grass is spent. It moves with the wind. and causes the field to dance.

It has shape shifted over the spring to summer. Straight up bright green grass, and now bent over golden straw. The seeds have turned bronze. They are heavy at the top and bend over closer to the ground. This is their lifecycle.

It’s beautiful to witness

To experience the birth growth, flourishing and transformation is a humbling experience.

What lifecycle is before you, worthy of your witness?

This year the linden tree is not as abundant as last year. We reach up to smell the fragrant flowers and berries.

Daisies on the other hand are everywhere. We look carefully at the Sea Buckthorn to see what stage it’s at - far less berries this year it seems - and the Autumn Olive, abundant.

Each year is different - we don’t count on abundance, instead we appreciate the joy and impermanence of what is.

We planted English and snap peas and they are flourishing. We indulge daily while we can. Same with the currants. Eating them raw, in salads, in every dish we can imagine - grateful each day we get to enjoy

Where can you relish in the joy of now?

I stepped out into the golden light of the sunrise. The trees absolutely still absorbing the nourishing rays. I too stood still and faced the sun soaking in the light

A scale up client is going through some classic growing pains. Having established product market fit, they are now feeling the gangly teenage years of growth - parts of the company further ahead than others - not enough synergy across the whole.

Engineering has been built up and is humming along with strong seasoned leaders and more on the way. Business development and marketing have created traction, now they live the problem of too much demand and a gap in operational support for customer success and on boarding.

When I think back to my experience at growing successful scale-ups many excellent decisions that formed the foundation of the organization were grounded in the ethos “we take care of our people, they take care of our customers, who intern take care of our business“. An example of this philosophy was an early investment in customer success (CS), hiring the first two CS leaders within the first 20 employees. Those that invested in this way evolved into $B powerhouse companies led by the same leaders who we first hired.

Those leaders stayed because the company invested in their growth and offered a valuable career arch. As well as, keeping their mission and customer in mind all through the journey of growth and consistently thinking of what would serve them best.

We’ve been in a deep freeze and so everything is covered in an intricate pattern of ice crystals. Anything not yet receiving the light stays frozen still in a pool of blue hues.

I crouch down to shift my perspective and observe from the ground up how the light changes each plant and tree. The top most branches still covered, a stark white in contrast to the orange yellow of the Sun’s early rays

I welcome the thought about a full day of warming sunshine might do to each of us, basking in its warmth. The trees basking in the light secure their energy through the branches and gather it in to create even stronger trunk and roots

How are you investing in the roots of your life?

What are you doing to offer nourishment for the soil around you?

Max-dog has had a rough couple of days. He has epilepsy. We never knew a dog could have that - but here we are. No need for tears - he has a very happy life and is incredibly resilient in his recovery. And, the last few days have been unusually rough. The doctors all expected he would have passed by now.

Walking the path was important today and brought us comfort, stability and joy. To sniff who was here, swim to be refreshed and roam just ‘cause.

We all need to walk the path when things are great and when they're not, maybe especially when they’re not.

The path is our 'ritual' our daily ceremony in celebration of life, connection and possibility. ‘Connection' is what we do with Max-dog on the path - we both feel better after no matter what. We celebrate life in each step by observing what's here, what's new and the beauty that we are grateful to be surrounded by. And each time - we are awakened to possibility whether it is a bumblebee demonstrating awe, tenacity and the impossible by stuffing itself into the tiniest flowers for nectar or the simplicity of a bullfrog calling out from the pond and many other wondrous expressions of life.

> What is your walk on the path?

…But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The sunrise told us about time.

Be here now. Watch the light shimmer in through the trees. Take each foot step one by one.

Time is slow fast and infinite. That is what the sunrise offered this morning

> How do you want to approach time?

Several bushes of wild pink peas that come back each year where the old homestead used to be. They’re a pleasure to look at and a reminder of history and presence. A fuscia pink colour contrasting against the dried grasses that surround them.

It’s a wonder to behold the gift of rebirth. We hope each year but one never knows.

The lavender bush isn’t as happy and is barely showing any flowers and the large linden trees are a mix - some bear the signs of flowers to come and others offer just their leaves this year.

It’s a drought right now, many have warned us of the extremes to come. We’ve prepared as best we can.

Paying attention to what’s here now and the signs that came before have set us up as best as possible. We are grateful for the beauty on offer in the form of the pink peas.

> What’s the warning sign for you right now

Coming back from the garden on our evening walk, we were greeted by a warm breeze. The kind of breeze that’s like a gentle kiss - filling you with love and appreciation and a kind of being that is unmatched by anything else.

I felt the breeze and instantly knew I would remember this feeling forever.

What is your gentle forever kiss?

Walking along the path, in our usual way, Max-dog and I passed a small apple tree. Taking a closer look at something glistening in the sun along one branch, a spider had built the most incredible web.

The web very successful from the debris within, was nestled in the branch like a cupped hand, waiting to capture whatever walked across the palm. Beauty within danger captured in one space.

Is this life? Beauty and danger?

Of course, there is truth to that. Our own nature can create a dangerous trap, something we don’t know yet see or understand. Perhaps a behaviour that repeats and no longer serves us.

The sunlight offers the seeing of it. Light is that way, showing us something new in its bright white light.

> What trap do you now see in the light?

… Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” ― Lao Tzu

There is one dead tree, in amongst the living. it seemingly has no purpose, yet the birds use it for landing, a perch to view the fields. And, no doubt the bugs are enjoying its bark and pith. The woodpecker’s have not found it yet.

Standing singular in amongst the rest.

Beauty is everywhere, it’s our perspective that shifts from death to life, horrid to appreciated.

I wonder what is needed to create that shift? Stillness, openness, maybe faith?

What do you need to shift your perspective?

We are in a heat wave, no rain for days.

Every morning and evening we are out watering. Taking care of the seedlings and plants, ensuring everything is getting the nourishment it needs.

Today there was a promise of rain, first it was promised in mid afternoon and then it was promised later in the evening. The clouds were large and dark grey, appearing to hold that promise of rain but nothing came to be.

A start up I’m working with - as many others have done in the current market conditions - has insured it has 30 months of financial runway by restructuring, reducing headcount in areas that were not critical to the core focus of the business. As well as ruthlessly prioritizing what felt to be the most promising of product offering, customer acquisition, customer success and revenue streams.

Holding on for the promise of something is always precarious, so many conditions outside of our control influence that promise. And so it’s best to prepare for the possibility it doesn’t work out, and if it comes, great, things will be extra nurtured, and if it doesn’t, we’ve done all we can to protect our food safety and security.

What are you holding onto as a promise?