“The sculpture is already complete within the marble block…I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” Michelangelo

As June arrives, we mark the mid-point of the year, the next change of season, and pause to see the fruit of seeds planted at the start of the year. Yep, I said pause and encourage you to do so, slow down, breathe, allow for quiet and time with loved ones. Like Michelangelo we are all sculptors of our lives, seeking to release what is no longer required to allow our essence, the true core of our being, to be revealed.

The month of May served up so many tragedies and conflicts, some unpredictable, others unfortunately not, and all complex. As all this occurred around each of us, we felt the compounding weight of our personal struggles, making it difficult to sustain perspective, well-being, and presence with those we love and serve. Each of us has much to reflect upon and process. Allow time to exercise judgment, the key to inviting change, in choosing how to respond to a cascade of crises occurring around the planet effecting all of us. The world grieves, gets angry, learns to cope, and moves forward, together.

How shall we each chisel away the cycle of violence in all its forms and give our attention, energy, and resources to evolving societal norms that have calcified? The word CHALLENGE for our Vanguard Conversation Series in April turned out to be prescient. Access useful perspective and ideas from this invaluable session exploring how we might decalcify our consciousness, and collectively face the reality with a social mindset - a perspective that approaches decisions and actions with their impact on society in mind (e.g., racism, inequity, hunger, homelessness, gun violence, climate change, human trafficking). Might being a leader who adopts a social mindset in their daily decision-making be one right answer?

Come to the Vanguard Conversation Series June 21, with our guest global leader, Cathy Mott, MCC as the series continues with CHOICE and the power to cultivate change through deliberate, inside-out choices. As my colleague and co-host for the Vanguard Conversation series, Publisher of choice magazine, Garry Schleifer often shares, you ALWAYS have the power of choice. Let’s all remember this as we acknowledge and celebrate #PrideMonth throughout June. Please do take a moment to listen to this YouTube, Avoid Another Performative Pride Month so we sustain attention beyond celebrating and be consistent with our voices and actions for human rights.

In the northern hemisphere the solstice marks the start of the summer season. We are drawn to be outside, walking, biking, picnicking, engaging with all variety of natural settings. YES! Be outside, and for sure on World Environment Day (June 5) and take a few friends with you to acknowledge that there is #OnlyOneEarth. Select the link to access a practical guide to living sustainably and in harmony with nature that was created specifically for World Environment Day 2022.

Here’s a seed I am planting with you today: what if you accepted that being outside includes responsibility to attend to the beauty of the place in the same way we do with the inside of our home? In case you might be thinking, gosh this isn’t a big deal, here’s a news story from local Seattle news that suggests it’s a big, 24,000 pounds of trash problem: The state had to close the inside lane of the highway 512 for several days to pick up all the trash. Workers collected more than 24,000 pounds of trash, just on that stretch of road from Puyallup to Portland Avenue.

My husband and I follow a daily practice when walking for exercise to bring a bag to collect trash, cans, bottles, food wrappers, bags, packaging. Heartbreaking to see the trash and heart-filling to restore beauty in picking it up. Our first right answer is never to drop trash outside, the second right answer is to pick up others’ trash, a third right answer is to heighten awareness and invite others to join our practice, a fourth right answer is to name this practice with you, the reader of this newsletter. Every choice, action, conversation, and idea that emerges inside out is worthy of our attention and consideration.

Keep tending the seeds you’ve planted this year and be diligent to stay centered and grounded amid the chaos.

Stay safe everyone and keep loving your life’s work!

And P.S. If you have not yet redeemed your tree that will be planted on your behalf in the Coach4Planet Forest, please do so and feel the vibrancy of that act as part of C02 recapture!