| Picture this: A mother and daughter are looking at the | | | | myself: |
| snowfall from the front widow of their home. The | | | | Which perspective holds more value of the two |
| daughter thinks: "Great, No school tomorrow." While | | | | visions I created? How do I look at the world and its |
| Mom is thinking, "Great, how will I get to work | | | | going's on? Are there adventures and challenges or |
| tomorrow?" | | | | problems and defeats? Am I feeling scarcity or |
| "Lights, Camera... Action!" | | | | abundance? Is my glass half empty or over flowing? |
| By Elizabeth Tull | | | | Do I see possibilities or stops and drama? Did I |
| Andrea Shea Hudson, , a coaching friend of mine said | | | | create the time to check in on these perceptions, or |
| to me recently: | | | | was I being reasonable: I am too busy, tired, |
| "If you're going to write the script for your life, why | | | | over-committed and inundated with more important |
| not write a great one?" | | | | things. Then I thought: |
| The Blizzard of 2005 currently going on in New York | | | | What could possibly be more important than checking |
| was my thought with coffee this warm and sunny | | | | in with or discovering my perspective, since that is |
| January morning here in Atlanta. After a quick prayer | | | | the foundation that creates the way my life feels |
| that no one was seriously harmed, a wave of | | | | and how I feel about the life I create? |
| homesickness swept through me. | | | | My answer: |
| How beautiful Boston and New York City are during a | | | | The perspective I choose to live from today is a far |
| snowfall. People outdoors and on-foot, the storm | | | | cry from the perspective I was taught to have |
| leaving traffic stilled and quieted which opens up the | | | | through my family experiences, the media, |
| sound of those inhabiting the city without car horns | | | | organizations from the past, grade school and my |
| blaring, mass transit buses, and the sea of yellow | | | | previous choices. I welcome crossroads today |
| taxis. | | | | because thru them I have the power of choosing the |
| Many neighborhoods feeling like neighborhoods due to | | | | direction I travel. |
| increased social activity available when the city is | | | | Today I am free, willing and unafraid to recall |
| closing down. The various architectures covered in a | | | | experiences that may create homesickness, pain or |
| blanket of undisturbed whiteness, allowing the | | | | longing in me. I can go home again without living in |
| environment to appear Norman Rockwell-ish, artistic | | | | the past. There are memories there that leave me |
| and magical. An abundance of colored hats, gloves | | | | warm inside and not depressed while I am conscious |
| and scarves along with some very creative winter | | | | to the gifts of my life here in Atlanta. It felt good |
| clothing for my neighbors and their pets. Children | | | | this morning revisiting and picturing the possibilities of |
| busy with snowball fights, people playing with their | | | | adventure, rediscovery and bonding during a |
| dogs, sledding in Central Park or The Boston | | | | snowstorm up north. I also believe anything I mourn |
| Commons, snowmen and ice sculptures reflecting the | | | | over was worth having in the first place. So that I do |
| voice of artists' talents and, of course, the smell of | | | | not end up back in my story or in the past |
| brownstone apartment fireplaces reminding me that | | | | negatively, I use an allotted time frame while I revisit |
| there is a warm place awaiting - with a mug of hot | | | | if I feel sadness, loss or pain. This is another new |
| chocolate or bowl of tomato soup. | | | | perspective for me. I was taught that you can't go |
| Sleep comes easily that night after a day of outdoor | | | | home again and that the past should stay in the past. |
| adventure, bonding, and rediscovery. | | | | The empowerment I feel from choosing my |
| Meanwhile back in Atlanta, the "adult" I was taught | | | | perspective comes from my commitments and risk |
| to be took over with my second cup of coffee: | | | | taking as well as long-term involvement in the |
| Puddles of slush, snow turning gray,brown and | | | | recovery world, professional coaching, quality friends, |
| yellow; folks cranky due to mass transit systems and | | | | mentors, and consistently making the time to |
| airports running off-schedule; salt and plow trucks | | | | discover and utilize the tools for living and not just |
| blocking in vehicles and dirtying windshields. City | | | | existing. For me, living is always having a choice. |
| sanitation workers unable to pick-up and discard piles | | | | Everyone has choices in everything though only a |
| of garbage; snow days from school with no childcare; | | | | few of us learn how powerful that is when creating |
| frozen wiper blades; and having to walk to the store | | | | the present and future. Today I choose to not only |
| for provisions in the wind and cold. | | | | discover and pick up the tools but to apply my |
| I smiled. How drastically my perceptions had altered | | | | energies for living into an extraordinary life. This I do |
| and shifted. "The scripts I write are based on my | | | | by action around my commitments and that I do for |
| perspectives, aren't they?" I commented to Andrea | | | | my legacy, my children and my children's children. |
| in my head. The two visions I had just created are | | | | That's my script, and I'm sticking to it. |
| two very different scripts based on two very | | | | "If you're going to write the script for your life, why |
| different perspectives. I stood at a crossroad in my | | | | not write a good one?" |
| mind. | | | | How important is it to understand your perspective? |
| Which perspective of the above two best reflect me | | | | You decide. |
| today? I thought. I chose to open my recovery and | | | | Extraordinary living is a birthright. Stake your claim. |
| coach training toolbox for the right questions to ask | | | | |