23 November 2016

forty

i thank you God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything 
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today, 
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay 
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing 
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being 
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and 
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

~e.e. cummings


sayulita



26 October 2016

exert. rest. repeat.

“An object in motion stays in motion...” It’s Newton’s first law: Physics 101, and it’s on my mind this morning.

I’m not sure about you, but I haven’t thought about physics in at least two decades. Probably more. However, those seven words from way back when seem relevant today, and they had me scouring the internet trying to recall what comes next.  

Effectually, the full law states that an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. And an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

So what does that have to do with business or management or consulting or anything? Well—everything.

An object at rest.
The nature of my work is starts and stops: I’ve been going and going and going, and now, I’m not. Honestly, the eerie silence of this calm before the next storm has been a bit unsettling.

But time has told me that this is a gift. So too is the space between this meeting and the next or between today and tomorrow. Whether it’s months or minutes, making the most of and gratefully receiving quiet times when they come can make the difference between good and better. Rather than to fill empty spaces with more and more doing, perhaps consider taking some time not to.

1.      Rest. In order to strengthen any muscle, the formula is simple: exert, rest, repeat. Times of rest afford opportunity for growth, so yes, take a lunch or take a nap (or both, perhaps).
2.     Meditate. Intentionally quieting the mind and spirit fosters peace, clarity, focus, positivity and a host of other great things. Just five minutes a day can do wonders.
3.     Sleep. We all know and can feel the benefits of a good night of sleep. Further, midday naps are integral to many cultures around the world. Why? Because sleep is awesome. It boosts memory, mood and attention. It promotes a longer life span, increased creativity, and it can subside weight gain and depression.

An object in motion.
The Puget Sound near my home ceaselessly ebbs and flows; it teems with power and life. Also in my neighborhood, the waters of a lagoon stand still. It, on the other hand, is stagnant, stale, and it smells.

Although stillness and adequate rest are essential to good work and good health, equally important are movement and motion. Simply put, movement = life.

1.      Keep Going. Particularly in quieter times, it is important to keep moving.  Although shutting down completely or throwing routine to the wind may seem enticing, it’s not always the best idea. As anyone who has started a diet or an exercise program – again – will tell you, it’s far easier to keep going than it is to get going.
2.     Keep Growing. Our brains forge new pathways and connections when we think outside of the box and experience new things. Downtime is a great time to stretch our minds, to sharpen our tool belts and to learn something new.
3.     Exercise. Getting outdoors and moving our bodies is one of the very best things we can do for body, mind and spirit. A brisk walk can decrease stress and increase productivity. Studies correlate exercise to heightened brain functioning, better health, better sleep, better sex, less stress, more energy, greater confidence, blah, blah, blah…

Unless acted upon.
A prospective client called just a bit ago to ask me to begin working with her next week. I’m busy resting, I thought, but didn’t say. Actually, I said yes.

Regardless of your trade, occupation or social status— whether you love or you hate the life you live and that to which you put your hand each day—the rest of Newton’s Law matters. Unbalanced forces are everywhere, and change is inevitable. We will act, and we will be acted upon. Projects will come and they will go. In any case, to stay or to go requires action.

1.      Act. When inspiration, ideas and opportunity come, act on them! Inspired action can be a game and world changer.
2.     Just say yes. Energetically, a yes is a powerful thing. If you wish to change your circumstances and particularly if you tend toward passivity or pessimism, learning to say yes may shift things in a positive direction and open more doors.
3.     Balance. To change the state of a thing, an unbalanced force is required. Homeostasis is possible, however, when we adjust, then readjust. Yield, push back or change course when necessary. Take a break, then get back to work.


Abi Tschetter is a Marketing Consultant with The Odigo Group and a STOTT Pilates® Certified Instructor. She resides on Whidbey Island with her husband and two children. 

28 January 2016

write. read. repeat.

Five posts in 2015?!

Man, I had SO much more to say than was said in five posts. I haven't written any resolutions yet for 2016 (16, my favorite number!!), but if I did, this would be one of them: I intend to blog more this year. 

Writing for me is like exercise. I come alive when I make the time, and it just feels so darn good once I finally get going. I just need to get going. Like my dear friend Leah said to me way back when: just start. So noted -- again. 

I actually have a thought stewing, which will likely find its way here. Right now it's chicken scratch in a notebook, but I hope to turn that jumble of thoughts into something  someday soon. I'm going to turn that jumble of thoughts into something here. I'm writing this down and I'm going to hit publish in a bit so that I'm now accountable to making that happen. 

In the meantime... I have had a lot on my mind for so long, and today, not so much. To me this is something to smile about. Please hold while I pause to smile... 

Back. 

Shortly after the year began, I started a new book (reading, not writing... sigh). In the wee hours of this morning, I woke up to read a bit more before the day began, and that reminded me that I never wrote out my book list from 2015. Well, three days remain in January, so technically, I'm not late. Yay!! 

So without further ado... 

The Books I Read in 2015 by Abi T. 

  1. One Plus One (J. Moyes) -- 1/2
  2. **Unbroken (L. Hillenbrand) -- 1/21**
  3. Wild (C. Strayed) -- 2/6
  4. **All Joy and No Fun ( J. Senior) -- 3/8**
  5. All the Light We Cannot See (A. Doerr) -- 4/7
  6. The Girl on the Train (P. Hawkins) -- 4/13
  7. Writing Begins with the Breath (L. Herring) -- 4/26
  8. The Goldfinch (D. Tartt) -- 6/15
  9. Station Eleven -- (E. Mandel) 7/10
  10. 2 a.m. at the Cat's Pajama ( M. Bertino) -- 8/19
  11. Last Night in Montreal (E. Mandel) -- 9/8
  12. Me, Earl and the Dying Girl (J. Andrews) --9/10
  13. Paper Towns (J. Green) -- 9/18
  14. **Big Magic (E. Gilbert) -- 9/30**
  15. In the Unlikely Event (J. Blume) -- 10/27
  16. Looking for Alaska (J. Greene) -- 10/31
  17. **The Biology of Desire (M. Lewis) -- 12/6**
When I look back at this list -- unlike most years -- there are no hands-down, stand-out favorites for me at first glance. This was an odd year, and frankly this was an odd collection of books. I can much more easily identify the books that didn't do it for me this year over those that grabbed hold of my heart and didn't let go. 

But after sitting with the list a while, remembering the stories and my feelings that accompanied them, two books undoubtedly rise to the top -- one for its well-researched and inspiring tale of an extraordinary man and the second, not as much for the story, but for the writing (oh, the writing).

My 2015 Non-Fiction Book of the Year is...



And My 2015 Fiction Book of the Year is...


Happy Reading!