Yes, it’s mid-afternoon and I’m just getting to Monday moments.  Yesterday afternnon and much of today was a turn of focus for me in order to be present at the mortuary and funeral service for a friend’s husband.  Such an event is not the way I would wish to change focus for much of the day.

On the way home, listening to a Russell Watson CD on the car stereo, I thought about all I needed to do when I arrived home.  Yes, the E-letter is nearly complete and many of the tasks laying all over my desk are cleared away; but there is always something that needs to be done to continue to move us forward.  As I dwelled on undone tasks, I wanted to just keep driving (or riding since friend Harold was driving) and enjoy the sunshine and green countryside.  The “turn of focus” was welcome!

Sometimes, we just must turn our focus from building our business; shoring up someone else’s business or the complex tasks involved in home management.  We think we can’t and continue to ignore other very important aspects of life that pass us by almost unnoticed.

What the “turn of focus” of the day taught me - with its accompanying sadness for our friend - is that it has been far too long since I simply walked away from a day’s strategy and monumental tasks to let life be life!  Even something as emotional as sharing the grief of friends can seem like a respite when we keep our focus - focused for long periods of time.

How much we long to keep our focus turned is an indication of how too-long we’ve kept our noses to the grindstone (as the old expression goes). 

As I listened to the world’s greatest tenor (IMHO) and thought of our upcoming trip across the pond, I recognized how excited I’m becoming about an opportunity to change focus again.  Not only a change of focus, but a change of location; countryside; people and nationality.  Suddenly it didn’t seem so important that I have a map with the location of Edinburgh’s hotspots so I could stay wired to each of you.   And I realized that I’m truly excited & eager to board the jumbo jet and take off into the wild blue yonder - and of course, sit in the audience to experience Russell live & in person for what may be one of the most precious experiences of my life!

Have you ever been so focused and driven to get it all accomplished so that nothing remains undone - that life slips away from you without a single notice?  More than life - it’s the feelings that accompany just knowing something new and exciting is around the corner.  Just knowing that if we set it all down - for just a few moments - that exhilarating feeling of life rolling over us in giant waves of joy will return.  “In spades” as the saying goes.

Finally, turning our focus even when there is much left to do invigorates us and allows us to re-create.  It makes time for the mind to mend and relinquish the stress of being “on” all the time.

And when we return to “focus as usual”, there is a renewed energy and eagerness to go at it again.

So I’m glad I didn’t use having more to do than a “one-armed paperhanger” as an excuse for not attending to the friendship of a grieving widow who has meant much to both of us.  I’m glad I said “it will be there when I return”.

So my encouragement for Monday’s moments is to “turn your focus” even when you think you can’t possibly do so.  You’ll return refreshed.  And life will roll in; catch you up in it’s energy and set you down in a new renewed place.

And all that needed to be accomplished will get done in record time!

Have an awesome day with moments of refreshment and renewal.

Linda, a fellow journeyer