The other day, I was in the pasture with my horses and decided I would catch our gelding, Wizard, to spend some time with him.

He is a willing partner, always curious about what we might do together.  He doesn't hesitate to let me halter him, unless of course something spooks him.

I always take it easy, its not an abrupt or demanding process.  I invite him to participate and he lowers his head and I halter him up.  We breathe together and stand for a minute.

As we begin to walk, our mare (Barbie Slew), starts to get ahead of us and blocks our path.  I pivot and try to move around her and she pivots too.  It becomes a game of how far I can get around her before she blocks me again.  I can feel the frustration boiling up.

I'm definitely focusing on the "obstacle" and how to move around it.  I'm thinking about why she is blocking me.  Is it because she doesn't want me to take him?   Does she wish I was taking her?  WHAT is...

Thinking about the end of your business while you are starting it or navigating its growth can seem counter intuitive, but it can actually be one of the most powerful planning strategies. This process can be just as much fun as planning an adventure, road trip or vacation.

In each of those scenarios, you are likely to have a purpose for your adventure, a destination and some idea of what you want to experience, right? And at the end - you can picture getting home safely, having some time to decompress and unpack, and then having memories to return to.

Your business is no different. All things eventually come to an end and it can bring great peace and joy to know what that desired state looks like ahead of time, so that you can make decisions along the way to support that end.

• running a school
• long term lease/rental to a farmer
• tiny house community
• RV park
• subdivided homes and condos
• raising livestock
• developing a restaurant

While some of these ideas have been interesting...

I think we all know that it's dangerous to compare ourselves to others, right?

What good becomes of it?

Yet its human nature, like moths to a flame, to take a peek at others' lives and businesses and do a little comparison.

This can be a helpful exercise and can serve you when you are looking for new models, a way to differentiate yourself, or inspiration. It can be harmful when the comparison leaves you feeling like who you are or what you are doing might not be enough.

If you find yourself in this situation, consider trying this deliberate activity of compare and contrast by answering these three simple questions:

• How are you and this other person or business similar? (find 3 ways)
• How are you uniquely different? (find 3 ways)
• How does this serve you and/or your clients/ customers? (find 3 ways)

As you are answering these questions, notice which answers make you feel stronger and more confident. Consider how you might put more intention and focus there. 

This...

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.  There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds, the ebb and flow of tides, the folded bud ready for spring.  there is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature- the assurance that dawn comes after the night and spring after the winter."- Rachel Carson from Silent Spring

The weather is warm this week, and so is my attitude toward humans dealing with change.  

That might change for me tomorrow, but for today...I feel a lot of empathy for what our local and global communities are dealing with. 

So much change in the air...

I take solace in knowing that change is constant and whatever lessons are  unfolding in this one, we will find them.

This weekend I encourage you to look around at the change that happens, without judgment, without drama....just the natural changes that occur- that we handle every day.

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