It’s been said that you will learn something every day if you pay attention. I am definitely a subscriber to this idea as some moments in life are more poignant than they initially seem, and we can miss them if we aren’t present and truly paying attention. Life will say, “something special is happening” and it can simply pass us by, and we can miss an entire lesson that could change our lives, bringing new meaning to a common occurrence, or awakening our senses to potential opportunity.

For those of us engaged in the journey of business ownership, it can be difficult to stay present and slow down enough to comprehend when the universe is telling us something. It can be a crucial mistake because it is these moments that provide a necessary influx of energy we need to keep moving and forge through the relentless noise of our day to day existence.

I am grateful to have been present, awake and prepared to receive the message of encouragement and validation provided to me on September 5th and 6th of 2019. I was on my first paid trip as a business coach and staying in Pacifica, CA – a small town on the coast right off the Pacific Coast Highway. The first evening of my arrival, after 3 back to back coaching sessions, I found myself with a little time to wander near the beach – not an everyday opportunity for this landlocked Denver kid. What I saw was what may be described as a typical sunset off the West Coast of California. Lucid oranges, low clouds, crashing waves, a picturesque small town, all framed by two small cliffs on either side of the beach. I quickly went into tourist mode and started taking pictures with my phone including an egregious selfie, placing an unnecessary human face in a pristine natural canvas. After lowering my technological distraction, I realized something was happening. What I saw was a sunset and what it meant was the end of my career as an employee and my life working for someone else. I saw clearly that the waves were bringing me an endless supply of the time and energy necessary for this new chapter in my life. I realized that the next morning would bring the opening of the new chapter.

I awoke early the next morning, armed with the feeling of invincibility that the day’s previous scene had provided. I started out again to the beach to see what other lessons were waiting for me. What was supposed to be a leisurely stroll turned into a hike straight up the hill on the North side of the beach. To get to the hill, I had to cross a small rock path across some runoff from the ocean into a small marsh. Just as the sunset was the end of something, this path called me across to my new life – which was waiting directly up the side of the mountain. Sure, there were other paths – but only one suited for my new journey. What I gained from this heart pounding jaunt was a new perspective and point of view on the entire bay with the ocean, the sun, and the rock path all in view, all screaming a simple message – Pay Attention -The signs that you are headed in the right direction are all around you!

I had been running my business for 9 months previous to that day, and it got me thinking that I had missed some signs earlier in the year. What made these two days different was that I made sure to create some personal space for reflection and meditation and was rewarded with a clear lesson from the universe: that what I was doing was not just a cry for independence from employment, but the clear next step in my journey to provide value as my true and authentic self, and do my life’s work. 

So I guess the question is, are we paying attention to the deeper meaning of the world around us or just spectating as we float through time?