Try this: right now in your office or on your way home - inside or outdoors - stop and take three long, deep breaths. Drop your shoulders. Relax your face. Let your breath be natural.

Notice how each breath expands your belly or chest. Feel the air moving in and out of your body. The invisible carbon dioxide you breathe out connects you to the plants and trees. They need your breath to stay alive. The plants and trees are exchanging energy by providing you oxygen – keeping you alive. From the moment you were born; from your first breath to your last; this ongoing - seemingly effortless relationship - is just one way that you are connected to the earth. You are not separate. So celebrate! Celebrate being alive and connected to everything around you.

John Muir said, “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, we find its attached to the rest of the world."

How will remembering that you are connected to everything, affect your next conversation or next decision?

Linda Graf
Executive Coach
Executive Wisdom Quest™ Facilitator
www.WildWisdomLeadership.com
Linda@WildWisdomLeadership.com
406.982.3088

Gift idea! Fantastic book for gardeners, nature lovers or those interested in learning more about earth-based cultures: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Kimmerer is a professor of botany, member of the Potawatomi tribe and gifted storyteller. She artfully weaves science and indigenous wisdom, giving readers a unique opportunity to access the teachings from various plants including strawberries (the heart plant); corn, squash and beans (the three sisters); and the maple tree. The holidays can often steer us toward excess. This book is an easily digestible reminder to appreciate all we’ve been given and to acknowledge and listen to all our relations.

www.wildwisdomleadership.com/resources

Braiding Sweetgrass - one of my favorite books of the year. What’s one of yours?

John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more and become more…you are a leader.”

August 2012, 8:30 AM. There’s a line of about 20 people all heading to the airport with their suitcases. The bus driver is 35+, muscular, bald and clean shaven. He gives off a friendly but focused I’m gonna get all of you to the airport on time energy.

I’m at the front of the group watching him load suitcases, boxes and a couple of high-end bicycles. He’s stowing things quickly and meticulously - moving effortlessly. It’s like watching a dancer perform.

We head out. I sit two rows behind the driver. A middle-aged man directly across from the driver wears a reflector vest and it becomes apparent he has some level of behavioral challenge as he speaks loudly, out of turn and continuously. The driver gently interacts with him.

“Yes, Joe, the 49ers did win last night. Joe, you’re right and I know it’s exciting and please, bring your voice down. We hear you.”

As we cross town, the driver’s banter and support to Joe continues. “Yes, Joe, that’s a Mustang convertible. Yes, it’s red. Yes, they’re moving fast. You going to work today, Joe?”

At each stop the driver pops open the door with a genuine smile and greets each passenger as they board; helping them figure out how much cash to insert into the ticket machine.

An Asian man in his 60’s climbs on board. His english is limited, he fumbles with a $50 bill. A sign on the ticket machine says it will not provide change for bills larger than $20. The driver looks up into the troubled man’s face and says, “I’ll take care of you. You’ll get your change,” and directs him to put the $50 bill into the machine. The man sits down gingerly.

The driver looks across to Joe, “Joe, help me remember…$50 - $13 = $37. Thirty-seven dollars, Joe.”
Joe repeats carefully, “Thirty-seven dollars.”

The next passenger comes on board and starts to put her $13 fare into the machine. The driver put his hand out gently to stop her. “No, please give the $13 to this man behind me.” The woman looks surprised but does as directed. The Asian man’s face lights up – now he understands!

New calculations go on between the driver and Joe for a few more stops until the Asian gentleman has his correct change. He relaxes. Passengers up front are all smiling. Joe is happy to be part of the solution.

A lanky, young guy steps on board, a credit card in hand. “Sorry – just cash,” the driver explains. “The machine only takes cash. You’ll have to find a bank or ATM machine and catch the next bus.”

The young man looks like he’s going to cry. “If I do that, I’ll miss my flight. I can’t miss my flight!” He stands frozen.

Without hesitation I call out, “Here’s five bucks. It’s all I’ve got, sorry.” The guy directly in front of me pipes in, “I’ve got seven!” And a voice from behind calls out, “Here’s the rest. I’ve got the rest!”

We’re all smiling. It feels good to be on this bus!                          

If John Quincy Adams had met this bus driver he would have said he's a leader because he “inspired us to learn more and become more”. His presence and actions made it easy to say “Yes! How can I help?”

Emerging leaders often don't recognize themselves as leaders but there’s leadership potential in all of us. There are ample opportunities every single day – at work, home and in our communities - to inspire others into positive action by responding to life situations with enthusiasm, integrity, innovative problem solving and compassion.

Who comes to mind as a real leader in your world? Keep your eyes open, you never know when you’ll meet one. And don’t forget to look in the mirror.

Linda Graf
Executive Coach
Executive Wisdom Quest™ Facilitator
www.WildWisdomLeadership.com
Linda@WildWisdomLeadership.com
406.982.3088

Are you making decisions with all the information that's available?

At thirty-seven I had been running a successful business for 10 years; but the work was no longer satisfying. I was always exhausted and had a hard time focusing on the details of my job. It was time to move on. The question was, move on to what?

To find the answer, I decided to go back to where I found solace as a teenager when relationships at home were especially tense. Nature had always been a safe haven, perhaps I could find the answer there.

I signed up to join a group of 18 adventurers for a week-long vision quest near Canyonlands National Park in Utah.

I had hoped that during my quest I would find a little ribbon-tied box on the trail. Inside I would find my life purpose. That’s not what happened.

The gift I received could not fit in a box. I sat alone for four days with my thoughts and nature. I was bored. I was elated. I was cold. I was hot. It was windy. It rained, hard. I became aware of my connection with everything around me. I watched the sun rise and the moon set. The water from the sky became the water that I drank which moved through my body and became the river that flowed by. I learned how to listen and interpret nature's metaphors.

When I returned to the group from my solo time, I became aware of the power of listening and mirroring back each others' experiences. I heard story after story of how each questor's experience with nature provided clarity and a deeper understanding to the issues they were facing - personal and professional.

I realized that I - like most of us - had not been accessing the wisdom that's all around us. We are limited by NDD (Nature Deficit Decision-making). Our decisions are not fully informed. We have a blind spot. We have forgotten the fact that we are nature and we're missing the valuable information it offers.

That realization led me to other quests, certification as a coach, leadership development, and finally, being trained as a Vision Quest Guide. It took a while to recognize that my initial quest experience was the first step toward aligning with my purpose.

Instead of finding a gift-wrapped box on the trail, nature taught me to pay attention to what I value most: being outdoors, learning, connecting and supporting others's development. When I make decisions with those values in mind, I'm living my purpose. That's why I now take people into nature for professional development.

Take the opportunity to share your wisdom by posting a comment:
When have you experienced a deep connection with nature?  What insight did you receive?

Linda Graf
Executive Coach
Executive Wisdom Quest™ Facilitator
www.WildWisdomLeadership.com
Linda@WildWisdomLeadership.com
406.982.3088