I will be a half century old in a couple of weeks. 

I’ve had a chance to reflect on some things and I discovered - I LOVE ME!. 

Some women I know tell me not to tell my age. I’ve been told that age is just a number.  But is it! 

I have a friend who plucks the gray hair from her hair almost on a daily basis.  Says that she can’t stand to see the gray.  

I work with a lady who has her roots dyed every so often, because she said it does something to her to see all that gray.  “It makes me look old”, she says.

There are so many products out there to get rid of the gray.  Commercial after commercial (cover that gray).

But why? 

My hair has been salt and pepper from the day I was born.  As a matter of fact I had more growing up as a child than I have right now and I miss it – my gray hair.  

My mother told me when we were in New York visiting my uncle, she took my sister and I on a subway ride.  I was 3 or 4 years old.  My hair was parted in the middle and I had a plait on each side of my head.  The gray in my hair stood out like a flag waving “hey look at me on this child, I’m not supposed to show up until she is old”.  

As I looked behind the window, mom could see the lady in back of us leaning forward, looking at the top of my head.  She said she waited because she knew it was coming.  Finally the lady said,

“Excuse me, why did you dye her hair like that”. 

Mom turned to look at the lady and very calmly told her,

“I didn’t dye her hair!  She was born with it that color”. 

The lady smiled and said, ” oh it’s beautiful”.  

The color of my hair was an issue for me all through school and in my first marriage.  I don’t like to dye my hair.  

My nephew lives in Boston and we don’t see him often.  He came home and looked at me and gasped,

“Auntee, oh my God!” 

My heart skipped.

“What, what?” 

“You have to dye your hair, look at all that gray”. 

Well with a sigh of relief, I said,  “Boy leave my hair alone.  I had this hair before you were born and it’s always been this color if you ever took the time to really look at me”.  We laughed and he apologized. 

No need,  I love my hair.  There are days when it doesn’t look like there is any gray and then there are days, when the gray is just screaming hey look.  I have learned to love me and everything about me including my gray hair.   I think that gray hair is beautiful and since I have a birthday coming, I have asked God to let my hair go gray all the way.  My husband is gray and someone suggested that he get the men’s stuff that will color it.  Why I said, I like it just the way it is. 

I wonder if it has anything to do with my Grandmother explaining why I was born with gray hair.  Grandma said that my gray hair was God’s way of giving me an outward sign of the wisdom he put inside of me.  She said it and I believed it!

Or maybe it was Aunt Katie, she had gray hair as long as I can remember and she was so pretty. 

So with my 50th birthday 2 weeks away, I honor my gray hair! It doesn’t bother me a bit that some consider it old, unattractive or whatever. 

I love it.   

Have you seen the commercial with awesome women with, you guessed it - gray hair!

I say embrace it, flip it. flaunt it, honor it.   Because you are beautiful, I have it on very good authority.   God said everything he made was good and very good and that includes your gray hair. 

I am thankful to have lived long enough to get gray hair even if it was my beginning.

Celebrate You!

Blessings,

  Willy
 

It’s been a few weeks of discovery for me.  Listening to other women talk about how they discovered the right path for themselves!

Over and over again last week and this, I’ve heard dynamic, successful women share their stories of how they got where they are today.  And over again, I heard the word “discovery”. 

BTW - these were ‘chronologically maturing’ women well into the 2nd half of the journey!

I knew I was on the right path in leading us down this avenue of sharing around what sets the 2nd half of the journey apart from the first!  And honing in on the ‘key’ pieces that make up the 2nd half was just the ‘first step’ in changing direction in our lives. 

The kind of ‘direction’ that includes a mental, emotional, psychological and oftentimes, physical turn that leads us along the path to what delights us in life - in business - in personal relationships - in whatever it is that we earnestly set out to accomplish - and DO!

I often wonder as I dialogue here, if what we say has any meaning for anyone out there in cyberspace who lands here and discovers our blog!  I go blithely on assuming it does and imagining the day when women eagerly await the next ‘edition’ of the many messages that reside here.

You see, I’ve lived long enough and observed life, folks and events enough that my viewpoint is that women - all women - are savvy enough to have discovered this ’stuff’ long ago and simply ‘yawn’ at the re-read!

Then I’m reminded that while I know a lot of ’stuff’ that I am good at sharing with others to assist them - only to discover that when it’s me caught on the ‘horns of the dilemna’ - it’s very different!

I think even though, like a rolling stone, we gather great wisdom, knowledge, education (formal or otherwise) and life experiences - it all goes out the window so to speak, when it’s “me” in the midst of the trees and I can’t see the forest!

I think the great stories I heard over the past several weeks that bolstered my confidence and served as  “confirmation”, were as much for me as for our friends, neighbors, and visitors to AWP.org!

But also for you!  You who come here daily to find something new and a little enticing - a ‘nugget’ of truth that strikes a cord.  A ‘piece of the puzzle’ that can be added to the jigsaw that is your destiny and purpose and fills a space that was previously ‘empty’!

Sorta’ like when I do a crossword puzzle.  I start out great - filling in the blanks and complementing myself on my intelligence (yea, right!).  Then it comes to the ‘downs’ and ‘across’ that don’t quite click for me.

I struggle and struggle with finding the right word to fit in those spaces - to make progress.

I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve NEVER totally finished any crossword puzzle I started!  I finally set it down and say, “for another day!”  Most often, it gets forgotten and eventually goes out in the trash!

What do you suppose that says about me?

What I do know is that discovery is an art the same as reflection is an art!  One can focus, but not always reflect!

One can discover, only to turn from the moment - forgetting it all.  Sort of like James says in the book of the same name!  We look in the mirror (reality) and see the truth; then promptly turn away, forgetting all that was revealed to us!

Discovery is the stuff of which life education is made.  It is the essence of seeing something we didn’t see before.  It is also what takes us beyond where we are now and gives us a ‘clue’ as to the what’s next!

Discovery that has to do with learning something new about me; about who I am or have become; what comes next and where the “what comes next” will take me, is art!

And it takes practice!  It is not an art form that comes natively to most!  It has to be sought after; acquired and appropriated.

It’s Friday afternoon and the sun is shining in my upstairs ‘cubbyhole’ office as only a fall sun can do!  It beckons me to wind up the day with poetry and a metaphor for the art form!

Life is like a dance!  Sometimes its a tango - often times it’s not!

Life is like a dance!  Sometimes it’s a rumba, often times it’s not!

Life is like a dance!  Sometimes it’s a fox trot, often times it’s not!

Life is like a dance!  Most times it’s a waltz, seldom it is not! 

Life is like a dance!  Sometimes this and often times that!

It is in the intervals between the cadences and the beat that one sees the difference!

Have an AWESOME AWP weekend!

  Linda

I recently got a call from a friend who lives in another state.  She was so stressed that she was talking a mile a minute.  In my mind, I could image her running.  But she was sitting on the side of her bed and talking to me.  She was talking so fast that I could not get her to slow down long enough to say anything to her. 

Then she begin to cry.  At that point, she asked, “what should I do?”   

I didn’t know what to say!  All I could hear in my heart, was the pounding of her running. 

I asked for wisdom and told her the following.

“This too shall pass.” 

“Go outside and put everything else out of your mind.  Look at the wonders of God in your own backyard.  The grass, the birds, the fence, the flowers. 

“Enjoy them!  Just stop and smell the roses for a moment.  The world will not stop revolving because you take some time to slow down and truly see the wonders of the world in the small things.”

I hope she took my thoughtful and wise advice! 

My mentor sent me a poem about just this kind of thing that happens sometimes in our lives.  I’m sharing it on the “Perspectives” section of the FORUM.  Please go, read and be encouraged if you’re having one of those “running while sitting” days!

Blessings!

  Willy

I’m a member of NAFE, the National Association for Female Executives, and get their regular e-letter.  It’s very nicely done and often has some great pieces of info that I think all of you may be interested in.

Today’s edition has a short article on creating a brilliant resume’.  Whether we are women looking for opportunities in retirement; women returning to the marketplace after a respite to rear children or perhaps you took time away to care for aging parents.  Whatever the reason, I think Jewel DeMaio’s piece will be of interest.

One thing I want to add before posting her tips, is that it is always wise to update our resume even if we aren’t looking to make a job or career change.  I’ll say more about this in another dialogue here later in the day!

Anyway, here’s great tips from Jewel DeMaio:

“5 Tips For Presenting An Absolutely Brilliant Resume

By Jewel Bracy DeMaio

This issue’s 5 Tips come from NAFE member Jewel Bracy DeMaio, Executive Resume Strategist. There’s a major difference between writing an executive resume and strategizing on an executive resume. Writing means you put on paper, in a pleasant visual format, your employment history and accomplishments. Strategizing on your resume means going to an entirely new level.

And how do you formulate that strategy, exactly? Strategy means just that: thinking and planning before making any significant writing effort. It’s the same concept as what you have undoubtedly applied throughout your career, particularly in your leadership roles. Strategic planning is essential in order to execute an initiative swiftly, and deliver it with success.

As a candidate with significant experience, or a candidate on the senior executive level, the assumption is you’re relatively confident about your ability to put together a decent resume. How do you elevate your presentation from decent to nothing short of absolutely brilliant?

Tip #1: Think about your future. What do you plan to bring to the table in your next executive role? That’s what the resume needs to emphasize. This clearly differentiates for employers what you’ve already done, and what you know you can do for them.

Tip #2: Write the resume about YOU, not your job. Breathe life into your resume. The most effective way of doing that is to write about you. It’s your performance in your prior executive roles that matters, not your scope of responsibility. Highlight what you did in your career that delivered results exceeding projections, or yielded a tremendous cost savings.

Tip #3: Make the resume more than just the sum of its parts. Give your accomplishments context. If you saved money, compare that savings to what the projections originally called for. Providing such context does not automatically mean your resume becomes the length of a dissertation.

Tip #4: Build a brand image. How do you want to be perceived overall? This strategy involves conveying your levels of competence, intelligence, and trustworthiness. These points build your credibility. And if employers believe in that credibility, they’ll call.

Tip #5: Step away, come back, and see how the resume strikes you. Don’t rush to distribute your resume immediately upon completion. Take a break and then evaluate it again with fresh eyes. A truly brilliant resume should make you say, “Wow, yes I DID do that!”

Now that’s what I call some great tips!  What ‘blesses my socks’ is the “focus on you” recommendation.

Some years ago, I revamped my resume’ and started it with a “Career Overview”.  Because I’ve been in the marketplace a long time, the entire piece was lengthy and one daughter who is an HR executive chastised me slightly for “writing a book”. 

That may have been a valid critique, but the “overview” specifically targeted “me” and what I had accomplished in the various roles I have ‘lived’ throughout 30 years in some aspect of  marketplace life!

If some of you are women who are returning to a career “put on hold” for any reason and wonder how to dazzle a prospective employer; don’t forget all the things you may have done as a ‘volunteer’ for community organizations. 

Did you chair a major special event or fundraiser that exceeded expectations.  If so, reflect on what you learned, the skills you used to make it happen and any new skills you discovered you have, etc. 

In other words, all those unpaid positions have real merit because you applied your talents, skills and abilities that produced a positive outcome.  The same is true for any of you who have spent some years ‘managing’ a home or spouse’s business.  Step back, as Jewel says, and really reflect on all you’ve learned in doing so and the skills it takes to successfully manage the varied tasks of managing home and family.

The marketplace has changed some and continues to evolve.  Many smaller and middle-sized companies are not put off by women who haven’t been on a career path for some years - or maybe not at all.  They’re more interested in what you bring to the role or position for which they’re hiring and your value to their company overall!

So, go ahead, get out that resume’ and start working it over.  Especially those of you who are looking at a 2nd, 3rd or 4th life career.  You are in very great company as more and more folks retire - early or not - who want to pursue something different or fulfill a dream they’ve had since youth and now have the time, talent, life skills and wisdom someone out there is looking for!

More later on Thursday Thoughts!

Have an AWESOME day!

  Linda

A truly inspiring message!  Are you a “fern” or the “bamboo?”

THE FERN AND THE BAMBOO 
 
One day I decided to quit…. I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality.. I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. 
 ”God”, I said. “Can you give me one good reason not to quit?”

 His answer surprised me…

“Look around”, He said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?”

  ”Yes”, I replied. 

 ”When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from
the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again,
nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo”.
He said. “In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit. 

In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit. 
 

He said. “Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. 
 

But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a
 challenge it could not handle.” 
 

He said to me. “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don’t compare yourself to others.” 
 

He said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful.” 
 

“Your time will come,” God said to me. ” You will rise high!” 
 

“How high should I rise?” I asked. 
 

“How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return. 
 

“As high as it can?” I questioned. 
 

“Yes.” He said, “Give me glory by rising as high as you can.” 
 

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can
help you see that God will never give up on you……..
 
 Never regret a day in your life.
 Good days give you Happiness.
 Bad days give you Experiences.
 Both are essential to life.
 
 Keep going…
 
 Happiness keeps you Sweet,
 Trials keep you Strong,
 Sorrows keep you Human,
 Failures keep you Humble,
 Success keeps You Glowing,
 But Only God keeps You Going!
 
 Have a great day! The Son is shining!!

Thanks to Willy for sharing this beautiful analogy of growth, our uniqueness and inspiring us to never give up!

  Willy

Today’s chat focuses on discovery as an important aspect of determining how we want to arrange (or rearrange) the 2nd half of our journey.  Sometimes, there’s no great crisis that occurs to force us into making change. 

More often, it’s a simple decision that we’re not getting any younger and if we’re going to do those things we dreamed of doing with our lives - the ones that hold ‘real’ excitement and passion for us - we better get started NOW!  

I think it has little to do with changing hormones!  From where I sit, it isn’t just about menopause - unless we want to make it so!  And if we do - if that’s what we identify with the 2nd half of the journey - there are ‘oodles’ of sites in cyberspace that will meet that need!

And it isn’t about “age”, chronological age, either.  It can be if we want to make it so!  But truly, from my vantage point, how old we are in years has little or nothing to do with the amount of ‘wisdom’ we’ve gained or maturity we’ve reached. 

It has more to do with life experiences, how we’ve met and overcome challenges that might otherwise have ‘flattened’ us to the point where getting up was nearly impossible. 

And it has to do with the decisions we make as we travel the years - and even more so - those we don’t!

It has more to do with our understanding of who we are; where we are and how we got there at any point in life.  That takes reflection and discovery.

And when we wake up to smell the coffee (’discover’) and decide to take all we’ve been through - all we’ve learned - all the meaning we’ve attached to who we are, where we’ve been and where we’re headed - that’s the beginning of the 2nd half of the journey!

And it’s women who’ve come to that point in life for whom A Women’s Place was created!

We’re not ever going to be ‘cutesy’ or ‘wild and wooly’!  We’ve not going to focus on the big “M” and all that goes with it.  We’re not even going to focus on the ‘boomer’ bandwagon per se!

Yes, I know it’s fashionable to do so these days!  And there’s scats and scats of opportunities in the wwworld to gather under that umbrella!

The past week or so has been a week of discovery for me.  Discovering who we are and what we have going for us that makes our own little niche in the virtual world.

It has been reflecting on that day in May, 2006 when the mission came roaring out of nowhere and slammed across my brain in such a way as to get my attention - really get my attention!

It wasn’t crisis time!  It wasn’t what I call a “U-Turn” time!  It was a quiet moment of discovering what the next leg of the journey held and sneak peek preview of how the path was laid out. 

I know I’m wandering a bit with this, but there’s so much in the head right now, that keeping my focus is a struggle.  (Oh, and the little word from Sunday’s post about which I ‘teased’ is FOCUS!)

When a life circumstance such as divorce, death of a spouse or significant person in our life, life-threatening illness or some other “biggy” steps across the path - reflection and discovery are almost automatic once the shock wears off.

But the real message of this conversation is that more often than not - it’s not those kind of moments for the vast majority of women who feel they’ve entered a new phase.  A 2nd half of the journey.

When there’s little or no ‘jolt’ that precedes the realization that something is different with me; we often miss the fact that some time in reflection is necessary in order to discover what that something is. What it means, how it’s changing me and my life - my attitude, my perceptions about me and the world in which I live!

It’s to women who’ve  had a ‘jolt’ and those who have not, that we’ve come!

It’s to women who don’t mind - even look forward to - discovering what lies ahead on the road.  New challenges, exciting adventures, side trips into uncharted territory and restful respites along quiet streams that are part of discovering a new course, and charting it’s path.

It’s exciting!  Invigorating!  A breath of fresh air!

I invite you to step onto the path with confidence and eager anticipation. 

When packing your bags for the journey - tuck a little reflection into the corner; a big wad of focus among the ‘undies’ and tie a sprig of discovery to the handle. 

As the Irish say, “May the road rise up to meet you and the wind be at your back!”

And may A Women’s Place light your way!

Tomorrow begins a new series and we’ll be talking about some of the needs we have as we “step onto the path” and how those of us who gather in community here can be a resource for us all!

Have an AWESOME AWP week!

  Linda

It seems it’s the little things in life that have the greatest impact!  At least that’s been the case for me the past day and 3/4.   Yesterday at a very low point, I got a call from a dear friend “just at the right time”!  Today it was a silly little thing that “blessed my socks off”.

A straw!  You know, just a straw wrapped in paper so I didn’t have to drink my diet coke directly from the styrofoam cup.  The supply truck was late and there were no straws in the “inn”!

Then to my utter amazement, lovely June, our waitress appeared with a single straw wrapped in white paper; announcing that it was the absolute “last one” in the entire place!

My mouth dropped open!  Wow, I had something as simple as a straw wrapped in white paper for which to be grateful tonight when “Dad” and I have conversation!

And then I came home to the following!  Tequila and Salt!  I love it!  Came to me from my mentor of over 26 years and another “blessed my socks off” event for one day!  It made me smile, and teary eyed with its sentiment. 

Thought I’d share it here as I’m preparing tomorrow’s eletter! 

Enjoy! 

“Tequila and Salt

This should probably be taped
to your bathroom mirror
where one could read it every day.
You may not realize it,
but it’s 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world
that you would die for.

2. At least 15 people in this world
love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you
is because they want to
be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone,
even if they don’t
like you.

5. Every night,
SOMEONE thinks about you
before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. You are special and unique.

8. Someone that you don’t even know exists loves you

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever,
something good comes from it.

10 When you think the world
has turned its back on you
take another look.

11 Always remember the compliments you received.
! Forget about the rude remarks.

And always remember…. when life hands you Lemons, ask for Tequila and Salt and call me over!

Good friends are like stars……..
You don’t always see them,
But you know they are always there.

“Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It’s Hell in the Hallway”

I would rather have one rose and a kind word
 from a friend while I’m here
than a whole truck load when I’m gone.

 ”Stop and smell the flowers”?
See how many “bouquets” you end up with!

Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keeps You Humble,

Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going.”

P.S. Don’t you just love the line “it’s hell in the hallway”!

Have an AWESOME evening!

  Linda

I’m thrilled to have our friend and AWP Leadership Team member, Wilhelmenia (Willy) post to the blog this morning!  She has the distinct reputation of being “the calmest woman we’ve met”!  Even in the midst of some pretty difficult life circumstances that are just now getting worked out in her life in a most positive way - she kept her cool and didn’t fret or stress (I must have done it all for her, ‘man’).  When you read her “Kept Woman” post below, you’ll understand the faith and trust that gets her going and keeps her going.  I marvel at her grace and stamina.  I am in awe of the peace that resides within her when everything seems to be falling apart at the ’seams’!

We who lead AWP love her for what makes Willy - Willy!  And it’s a privilege to have her begin to share on our Blog.  Enjoy and let her words be a source of discovery for you as you reflect upon the day!

“When times are tough, we all need a lift. 

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind, but GOD kept me sane.  

There were times when I thought I could go no longer,
but He kept me moving. 

At times, I’ve wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong, but He kept my mouth shut.

Sometimes, I think the money just isn’t enough,
but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc… 

When I thought I would fall, He kept me up.  When I thought I was weak, He kept me strong! 

I could go on and on and on, but I’m sure you hear me!

Praise the Lord and pass the filet mignon! I’m blessed to be “KEPT.”

Are you?”

Blessings,

  Willy

My earlier post was a little ‘hard around the edges’, I think.

So I’m breaking my new rule of blog-posting just once a day!

I do think that as we grow more ‘chronologically mature’, we tend to feel a “hurry up and go” urgency about many life matters.  In my opinion, that is a function of moving into the 2nd half of the journey that we may not have experienced – or experienced for different reasons – when we were “under 40”.

“Under 40”, we may be focused on a lot of different things.  Parenting, career-building, buying a first home or upgrading to one that is larger and fits a growing family or lifestyle.  Some of us, myself included, made the choice to return to college and earn a degree or two. 

All worthy tasks, but a focus that is much different than when we turn the ‘mystical’ age of 40 or more and bodily changes collide with self-perception and life expectations.

Speaking of “discovery”, it’s been my experience that many women really get into the discovery process once they realize they may have reached the beginning of the 2nd half of life.  When I say “2nd half of life”, I’m not talking about chronological age, but a shift in the way we see ourselves, our careers, our families – life in general!

Even though life over 40 or 45 may travel at the same speed as before, the shift in our perspective urges us to take moments from the day to ‘discover’ what it’s all about and “where do I fit in now”.  

As I’ve said before, life circumstances may push us there.  The loss of a relationship, job or life-role, while painful, may be the “start of something new”.  Something POSITIVE!  In the midst of the pain of loss, we often discover what I call an “inner bubbling” that feels remarkably like “excitement”. 

The mental scenario might go something like this!  “What in the world could I possibly be excited about?”  “Life has thrown me a curve ball and I find a twinge of excitement in my ‘gut’?”

Yep, it’s there.  I can’t tell you the times I’ve heard women in the prime of life (over 40 or more) pour out to me the pain of a spouse deciding marriage isn’t for him anymore and “now what do I do” – only to almost shamefully admit that where there should be major ‘handwringing’ – there’s a wee bit of excitement about what the future might hold for her now.

Don’t get me wrong!  There’s plenty to be fearful about, but mostly it’s the ‘unknown’.  When together we worked through all the ‘garbage’ and focused on a plan for her future – she walked away with shoulders high and a greater sense of confidence.  Confidence she didn’t know she had.

Yes it was helpful to have someone with an objective ‘eye’, who sat outside her pain, to turn to.  Someone who would help her discover the positive at the bottom of the dung heap!  But the plan was a part of her process and the confidence was of her doing – not mine.

I’ve focused on the ‘death of a marriage’ here because that is becoming more common than in the past.  But it could be anything that turns our lives upside down like tossed salad!  When that happens, a great ‘tool’ to have in our ‘box’ is the ‘art’ of reflection and it’s companion, ‘discovery’!

Okay, I feel better now.  I kept to the theme for this series and I was positive about the fact that it’s a Monday moment and that too shall pass!

Looking at the clock, Monday IS past the midway point so make the rest of it AWESOME!

  Linda

Ah, one Monday morning challenge resolved.  Someone had not registered my modem with Comcast and it was working off a ’static IP’ something, somewhere!

Back to sharing what I discovered about my Monday morning ‘blahs’! 

Let me preface by saying that I am a pre-boommer baby and grew into young adulthood during the idyllic 50s and 60s!  Life in small town Indiana was nearly perfect.  The “war to end all wars” was behind us, major crime was almost unheard of, ‘dinnertime’ was leisurely and full of communcation about the day’s activities as well as plans for the future, etc., etc.  If you grew up in small town America and the same or similar vintage as me - you know of what I speak.

Then along came change!  It is, we know, inevitable!  Change that is.

As the years flew by, the world, culture, society and life in general took on exponential character.  And without even noting, I accommodated to a whole new way of viewing life and what life offers.

I call it the “McDonald’s Mentality”!  “Fast-food everything!”

Suddenly what never bothered me before became such a source of irritation as to make me utter exemplatives if it took more than 5 minutes from order to delivery.  While tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, I would look at my watch and instead of using the wait-time productively - I’d count the number of minutes it took to get whatever ‘cherished’ item I ordered.

The late Edwin Friedman (”FAILURE OF NERVE - Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix”) laments the change that occurred about the same time fast food became the nation’s “McDonald’s obsession”.  I haven’t completed his work, but the title says it all - at least for me.

They say that patience comes with the maturing process and well it should, I guess.  But some days I think it’s going the other way for me!

Okay enough digression, Fitzgerald!  Why the “Monday Blahs”?

I want instant success!  Pure and simple - that’s it!  I salve my conscience by saying, “well doesn’t everybody?”

Of course, we all want success (whatever that means to each of us) to come without the 5 minute wait process.

And it’s worse for those of us who carry the ‘visionary gene’!  We see the end that we desire often before the beginning.  Or we see the end and know how to get going, but loose our “nerve” when the desired ending doesn’t show itself in 5 minutes or less!

Now tell me, isn’t McDonald’s responsible for this.  I mean, can’t I hold them accountable for my mental shift from patient process to instant gratification?  After all, we all know that “instant gratification” is a function of youth!

I passed youthood, chronologically speaking, sometime during the mid-years of the last millennium, so I should now be a mature adult who can wait for the process to (1) take hold, (2) begin unfolding, (3) move forward, and (4) become the rhythm that spells success according to my dreams, my vision, my goals!

‘Ain’t’ so, my friends!  I want it NOW!

I mean I want to see that it’s coming (another challenge for us who are motivated by the prophetic or the need to know).  In fact, my prayers are pretty petty and childish these days!  Instead of practicing ‘gratitude’ on a grand scale, I mouth a few words about being grateful for the ‘wait process’ and then move into ’strength words’ (otherwise referred to as ‘making demands’) or ‘worry words‘, and finally what I call the ‘oh woe is me’ words!

It’s not that I want a Mercedes now or a villa on the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy now or someother ‘jet-set’ desire.  Nothing so grand as that!

I want growth in our AWP community to come quicker!  It’s as simple as that! 

I want it to come while waiting 5 minutes or less in the line at McDonald’s.  ‘Wha-la’, I placed my order and ‘bingo’, it’s at the window around the corner - served hot and now!

Instant success!  No waiting for the process to take hold.  It’s all inside brewing in fancy modern equipment and the desired outcome better take only 5 minutes from order to delivery! 

Or I’m fuming!

See how subtle the change that accounts for this morning’s ‘Monday Blahs’?  See how infected we’ve become by the “fast food” mentality? 

After all, if hamburgers, fries and rich hot brewed  coffee can be served up with split-second timing - why can’t the successful conclusion of what is our fondest hopes and dreams?

Doesn’t work that way. 

And all the pat platitudes that people of faith (and I’m one of them) hand out like tracks, don’t ease the mental pain of one who waits.  One who taps the steering wheel, glances angrily at her watch, and fumes with the wait!

Yes, I know great things take time.  But if ‘Mickey D’s’ can do it in record time - why can’t it be done everywhere in life!!!

So, Monday ticks away and I continue to look for the answers to the challenge presented by what seems like illusive success.  Reminding myself of all those pat platitudes that I’ve heard over the years in an effort to rise out of the Monday blahs like the “Phoenix Rising”.

Did I ‘publish’ to all of you in earlier posts on discovery a ‘warning’ that “discovery will lead to a positive outcome, but first, it may make you miserable”!

If I didn’t, I should have!

You know, I feel better just having acknowledged - publicly - my Monday mood.  And I hope that in so doing, it strkes a cord in you that lights the ‘bulb’ of wisdom that reminds - “the power is in the process”!

The good news is I just accomplished goal “1″ for the morning. 

Maybe it’s time for a McD’s break!

Have an AWESOME Monday!

  Linda