On the farm we have several indicators of risk and change. The weather being the primary teller of what to prepare for and then the birds that arrive and depart to indicate the consistent changes to come as well as the insects and colours of the leaves on varying plants.

Primrose in the flower beds has turned its rust orange and green to let us know Fall is here whereas the wild primrose in the fields is offering its last hoorah of late flowers and bright green leaves. The peas have reached a near maximum height, dwarf of their season’s start but still producing pea pods each day for Max-dog and us to enjoy.

I offered a CEO his HR/People team is the canary of the health of his organization. The entire team resigned over about 2 to 3 months early in the year. A major change and indication something was wrong? Or maybe something needed to change - it was not yet known at that time. So the CEO did as he should and hired a new team. Well that new team was fired and/or will resign within the 7 months of their start. The CEO still doesn’t see the canary, he has a rationale for the change - they weren’t a good culture fit, they were poor performers, etc. When does it become an opportunity for self reflection I wonder. When does it become the canary?

This is the time of year for rapid transformation on the farm and fast work. Each day must be as productive as we can all muster to bring in the harvest ahead of the frost. To watch the signs of change in the birds, the bugs and the earth and prepare as best we can for the inevitable winter that reminds us again of our resilience and strength.

Who is your canary?

No matter where we are, tracks tell us a story and bring us to the present

We are on a trip, attempting an adventure to recalibrate, visit with good friends and enjoy ourselves.

We walk along the beach on the eastern coast of Canada. It’s long and wide and the ocean calls us back to joyful times. And again, the feeling of timelessness returns.

I track the footsteps of the sand pipers and sea gulls along the sandy bits in between large and small flat and sea-warn rocks and seaweed. They tell the story of this water, this shorelines, this part of the natural world. And, we are humbled and grateful to be here.

What brings you back to your heart song?

I looked up and all I saw was grey - grey clouds moving across the dome of the yurt. I had been staring up for a while waiting for the sun. As the light of morning grew brighter I realized all I might see is grey today - and the occasional whisp of white cloud move across the sky. The sunshine we had enjoyed these last few days was not arriving this morning.

Often we look for strength outside ourselves. Maybe in the leaders we work with, a family member or friend. Then we must remember - it is within, always within. Buried in thoughts and emotions and even a physiological response of overwhelm or stress or some other suppressing experience - and still - strength will meet us within when we seek, remember, and embrace with faith.

I looked up again to see a glimmer, the ring of the dome lit for just a moment with the golden light of the sunrise 🙏🌞.

What is your way back to your golden light within?

I watched the full moon rise - a beautiful bright angelic glow alighting everything, so much so, no flash lights were needed on tonight’s walk to the yurt. I felt instant gratitude to witness this rising and be bathed in its gift of light.

In the early morning pre-dawn again we were graced again with the eclipsing moon setting. Before too many birds were up and about, very few animal sounds just the crunch of the frosty grass as I stepped closer to take it all in. A rose coloured shadowed moon setting beyond the trees. Framed in and hanging above the cow pasture on the other side of our fence. Again I felt gratitude and grace.

To be offered grace and a feeling of gratitude with which to start a day is a gift like none other. Steeping in this feeling I wish it to last me through whatever the day brings. We start our day with a feeling - let’s choose one that serves us best.

What feeling do you wish to start your day with?

… the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds' wings.” ― Jelaluddin Rumi

I sat at the northern Edge of the pond invited into stillnessI watched the wind playing with the tips of the cat tailsand the story the water told along the shorelineI felt the rain and it’s sound pitter patter on my rain coatThe crows calling to each other from different parts of the forest

What will today bring?What will I bring to the day?

What will you bring to your day?

At the south western edge of the pond, the place where the option to turn back seems so close and yet I am compelled forward. This is where max-dog invariably says yes! to go the rest of the way and so I went with joy in my heart

Sometimes we are compelled in good or bad ways.

Yesterday an executive in a team meeting lost her sh*t and exclaimed “shut the f up” to another team member, the ceo and founder. Eesh.

Overcome with frustration and whatever was going on for her personally the team was kind enough to slow down and check in. Do we need a break, the co-founder offered? You’ve all done really great work but maybe we need a break. The executive that exclaimed in frustration offered her apology and context. She’s had a rough week personally, a death in the family. They were able to move on and get to productivity.

Sometimes we are compelled in good or bad ways. The practice is to see it coming before we act without discernment or clarity of judgment. The sign of a great team is to acknowledge what’s there and find an empathetic way forward

Where are you noticing is your compulsion?

.. which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.” ― A. A. Milne

I walked around the south end of the pond looking up and ahead in anticipation. Still grieving, I look ahead in wonder of where max-dog might have been by now

Anticipation can be great and give us a feeling of anxiousness. Will I get the job? Will she marry me? Etc etc

Recently I had a coaching conversation in exploration of co creating opportunities. When asked was his hopes or expectations were my colleague offered ‘I am not attached to an outcome or expectation’. Instead he offered his vision ‘when I am 80 or 90 looking back on my life I want to feel that I’ve done all I can to live to my potential and to bring that out in others. That is what I’m curious to do, the specific form is what I’m open to discovering’

Imagine How many conversations we engage in, one to one or in a team, where we might be pushing a very specific agenda or outcome. What would it be if instead we offered or restated the shared vision?

I walked around the pond watching the sunrise against the maples. It still early, I walked in the dusk of the moonlight on the north western slope and behind me the sun rising in the south west

This limenal place of anticipation but without expectations is magic

I notice how open I am to any and all things. I catch myself again reminiscing of Max dogs footsteps always ahead of me. Love is here

What are you anticipating? Where is the opportunity to let go of an expectation?

Depending on the time of morning, max-dog and I make our way around the ridge on the eastern side of the pond we will be in shadow. The sun not yet high enough to alight our path. Instead it welcomes us to the other side.

Sunshine abounds on the western ridge and lights up the Fall colours of orange, red, green, yellow and the flickering of these as the wind moves the leaves into the dance of light and shadow.

The light is a reminder of the gift of impermanence.

Each day I have been grateful for our footsteps, our walk on the path - Max-dog pulling to catch a scent or playing the game of pretending to be off on an adventure only to run back to us when we got to the south edge of the pond and onto the path home.

Max-dog’s last day of breath in this world was Oct 4. He has been a great companion and I am grateful to have known him.

Who are you grateful for? Can you hug them even more today?

Sunflowers were a gift this growing season. We’d been inspired by a fellow gardener who espoused the benefits and beauty and so we planted them throughout the gardens. All manner of shapes and sizes grew. In the greenhouse they towered a good 7’. By the strawberries they varied in size of head, number of heads and colours - averaging 4-5’ tall. And by the watermelon they were more uniform forming a row along the south facing wall of the open green house.

The largest of them all - two in particular - bowed their heads so heavily laden with seed. Their petals now faded, the plant begins its transformation for the next generations.

Tempted to make up stories about the significance of bowing their heads back to the ground, the simplicity and beauty of the rhythm is revealed.

What rhythm is calling you forth?

The 2nd maple of the three sisters has lost most of its leaves. A storm came through yesterday, I was away from the Farm and on the walk this morning there she was nearly bare. The feeling of shock and then awe. This is transformation. Some times it’s fast, like an epiphany that completely changes us, Sometimes its a slow transition, inch by inch or cm by cm

An executive team I am working with was having a heated discussion at their offsite about their key priorities and the risks that might hinder their success. One of the team brought up the subject of diversity on the team and the representatives at the table - do they have all the roles they need represented by the ‘right’ people. The underlying concept is accountability and the principle of having the right people in the right seats. Something Gino Wickman and Andrew Horowitz have both written about. It became clear that at least two roles were missing but the conversation was tough all the same as those executives responsible for those roles now had to acknowledge that they may not have the depth of expertise to represent the function well enough for the team to make critical decisions. A tough conversation for sure.

We took a break. One of the team pulled me aside to ask for clarification- he realized something that was said he had taken in completely the opposite way of the intention of the person who had said it. Layers of the onion of communication he said - it’s so nuanced he offered. I asked what was there for him to notice about his own reaction and interpretation? Where was the fear that set him off to the ‘other side’?

Understanding takes courage and curiosity. Self reflection and what’s there for that executive will take him greater courage and curiosity. For certain he learned something - an inch or a cm I’m not sure

Where can you lean into courageous curiosity?