Round Trip with Wendy McGean

Although summer in not quite over, it’s already been a roller coaster of activity and challenges to my beliefs, values and attitudes. June saw me check off a significant milestone in my personal journey. I am now living with my husband (again) after more than a five year break. In my book, I spoke about leaving because I didn’t feel as if I belonged anymore. I no longer knew who I was and that wil...

There is often an excitement that emanates from me when I delve into something that I’ve not done before. I’m thinking of that tandem sky-dive a few years ago or taking early retirement at 55. There is also a terror and sometimes they feel the same.

I believe that each and every one of us has the ability to make our own kind of magic. That thing that happens when you align with who you truly are and live it on a day to day basis. Some people would call it an alignment with core values – I call it magic.

When is that last time that you had some time free up? How did you react? With annoyance or joy? If it was the former, what new roles or responsibilities have you adopted over the last little while that is having an impact on how you show up each day?

The past week has been a tough one. I found myself unable to get out of my own way. My mind was filled with a handful of projects that I am working without having fine-tuned the goals. I was starting to get a “what’s the use?” vibe – why am I doing these things?

I’ve been away from the microphone for a couple of weeks – off to Nova Scotia to visit my mother- a road trip with the new puppy to visit family. It was an emotional and challenging trip as I continue to witness my mother’s journey into aging. And it seems as if suddenly everyone I talk to is going through some version of this.

I want to do everything of interest that presents. There’s nothing wrong with that – although I seem to be challenged to remind myself that I cannot do it all at the same time. And the more than I take on, the more my efforts are diluted for those projects that are really important to me. Time and energy dissipate before the goals are met.

I’ve just had an interesting couple of days of low activity and Netflix - mostly.  It’s been a long time since I so thoroughly enjoyed an unexpected break – I’m heading into the coming week with more energy and some innovative ideas for what I will decide to focus upon.

Ever notice that it’s easy to stay present when we are doing something that we enjoy? It’s a little harder to stay present when working tasks that I would rather not be doing.

It’s one of those emotions that bubbles up when our needs are not being met. Maybe “bubbles up” is too gentle a description – spews or erupts might be more apt. Something is out of whack and I usually don’t take a lot of time to consider what’s behind it. However, I had an epiphany last week as my puppy drew blood for, what seemed like, the millionth time.

I have lived that it is possible to make changes in my own life – moving from automatic pilot to creating each day with intention. And it is not necessary to throw out the baby with the bath water.

There is much to be thankful for in my little world.

It’s been a humbling couple of weeks as I start over with a new puppy and realize that I need 8 arms and an extra set of eyes in the back of my head. And maybe a suit of armour.

I wasn’t sure that I would ever have another dog – Reeses was irreplaceable.

I love metaphors – the different ways that we use language to enhance a story or description that shed light on the meaning sought. And metaphors appear to us in more ways than language – sometimes we live them – we need only notice. And sometimes they offer some clues for self-coaching.

Noise is everywhere. At every turn someone is trying to convince us to do something or buy something or believe something. That does not mean that it’s good or bad. However, it is important to be aware of that dynamic and, for me, to question what and how I am thinking before I make choices.

In The Artist's Way (Julia Cameron), the topic of identify is front and center. In fact, it is presented as recovering a sense of identity. Who am I? Who are you? Think about that for a moment. We are not our thoughts, we are not our beliefs and attitudes and we are not our jobs or our routines or the roles that we play. Those are just things that we do. Who are we, who do we choose to be from mom...

Do you feel safe to be yourself? I’m not talking about physical safety but rather a knowing deep inside that tells you that you are free to be you – that you won’t be hurt, embarrassed, ashamed or admonished by expressing yourself in your life. Do you feel confident that you, even if the people around you do not agree with whatever you are saying or doing, are still free to express yourself?

Have you ever wished that you were a fly on the wall for some conversation or event. Something that you wanted to observe – oftentimes because you knew that you really shouldn’t be in that conversation but you are curious. The fly on the wall does not engage but observes – like watching a movie with no role to play in the scene.

I think that not listening is often a symptom of not being present. I’ve recently re-started a meditation practice and I can see the benefits already – one of which is listening better. It’s great training for staying in the moment and recognizing the stimuli all around us – sights, sounds, temperature, smells. I’m continuing on my life long trek to stay in the moment and maybe getting a little be...

You know those times in your life when you feel lit up – completely alive and firing on all cylinders? When you feel as if you are exactly where and when you should be and doing exactly what you were meant to do?

I was reminded this week that we can have a ripple effect on people even when we are not consciously aware of it. Have you ever stopped to think about how your very presence can have an impact on people that you come across in your day?

Personal growth implies changing things about yourself, whereas personal evolution implies radically accepting who you are and allowing changes to occur naturally.

I’m writing this on April 7th, 2022 – what would have been my dad’s 89th birthday. In the 5 years since Simon McGean retired his earthly body, a lot has changed in my life and in the world. But I can’t help but think how much changed in his lifetime.

Beauty is defined, in the Meriam Webster dictionary as “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit : LOVELINESS”