It's a quiet morning at the office, 'cept for the birds and the wind rustling through the trees, and I have to say, I'm kinda grateful for the quiet after the last week. Crazy week! Crazy busy! But somehow we got it all done and now as I look around at the aftermath - like a tornado, I have to smile and remind myself of how typical we are for a small business ---and we're still alive and kickin' so there are no complaints, really, worth any merit!

Another realization this week is that we have now officially moved from "starve-up" to growth phase of our business. Yeah, we still live hand to mouth and cash flow continues to be the real challenge (again, very typical), but I see the majority of our challenges change now - we've traded in our old woes and worries for newer ones. Things like processes, communications, forecasts, and dare I say it...meetings! Yikes! Yeah, I'll have to dust off all my managment/leadership/teamwork training and plan this next phase of our growth.

I love what I do, and this business has my heart and soul entwined in it...and quite literally, my blood, sweat and tears...but I know...truly know that this next phase will be the hardest for me personally ---and my greatest fear is that it will ask me to make a choice that I'm not sure how to make. I read recently, that when asked to choose between two things, a child of nine said, "I choose both" ---when confronted that that is not the choice presented, he replied, "Why Not? You've obviously forgotten the meaning of the word."  So yes. My choice? Both, naturally. Why Not? Whose rules are they anyway? I choose both. :)

Life has a way of gently nudging you back to reality...sometimes well, not so gently if you're not paying enough attention to it's more subtle signs...That was me this weekend, receiving a "not so gentle" reminder to pay attention to where I'm going instead of keeping my head in the clouds. "Oooh, look, a butterfly" ...trip, skid, topple, slide...aaaoooouuuucchhhh! Stop, dust settles, check to see if I've broken anything. Nope, but I feel stinging...everywhere! I'm covered in dust and gravel from the Town Lake trail and I must have been going at a pretty good clip, because I was sliding for what seemed like an eternity. It's amazing how when something like this happens, time slows to an almost standstill...it's because the focus is SO clear...in THIS MOMENT ONLY, that in that moment, time doesn't exist. I've noticed this over the course of particular events...and like some baseball player sliding into home, this nano-second lasted an eternity. But when the dust settled, and time resumed, I checked for blood, broken bones and dusted myself off and resumed my run. I was only 3/4 mile into my 3 miles, so I still had a way to go...and this fall, this jolt back to reality gave me something to contemplate on the remaining path...It's interesting how sometimes I get so caught up in the abstract to the exclusion of paying attention to my current path. I'm finding that in my life now and perhaps that's why the little wake up call. "Pay Attention" "Watch where you're going" Of course, I have to say, I'm grateful for this little scrape...as the "nudge" life gave me could have been much more severe. I'm very fortunate in my health, my life in general and am very grateful that the worst thing in my life right now is something a little bandage and my kickass immune system can fix. And I heed the nudge...and thank my life for the awareness.

I debated adding this snap, but find the blood fascinating and wanted to remember this event. Evidence of LIFE, fragile, pure, miraculous as it streams down like tears, like water...LIFE...this instance, presenting it's underbelly, then within days, the wound will heal, and a rebirth of skin will take it's place. This wound, this scar will forever be an experience unique to me, and fleeting. What a cool concept!