Take A Minute

LeadershipUnique Personality

Aug 22

Written By Ashley Dodge

Listen to the wind it talks,

Listen to the silence it speaks,

Listen to your heart it knows.

- Native American Proverb

On Friday morning I took a quick look at my schedule for the day and realized I had packed it pretty tight. Kind of unusual for me as I usually like to keep my Friday’s light for some garden play around this time of year. But it was what it was, and I was looking forward to the day even though I knew I would be pushing hard for breathing space.

After early morning meditation in the garden, I walked out near our compost bin on our side acre and was stunned see that a beautiful hawk had died there during the night. It was such a surreal experience to see it lying there on the dirt in perfect form. The hawks’ beautiful wings outstretched, with obviously no life left in its body.

While today’s picture of the hawk is one that I took here on another day, and not the one who died, you can see the hawk’s beauty and majestic might.

A strong dose of sadness came over me seeing the life drained out of this beautiful creature. For sure hawks can be scary and intimidating at times but they are magnificent none the less.

With Ed out of town I knew this was a situation I would have to handle on my own. My first client of the day was coming up and when I texted her about the situation she immediately asked to reschedule. She too was feeling overwhelmed, and it seemed like the hawk was a sign for both of us.

I felt the relief to be able to give this beautiful bird the time for a proper burial on the back of our property. And to take the time to feel the things I was feeling.

When we can actually take a minute to fully feel what is happening around us it can make all the difference. Being in the moment and re-evaluating your “must do’s” can be the difference between being in the moment and not.

For me, there are moments on this property we have called home all these years that I can feel the spirit of the Arapaho people who once inhabited this land. Their respect for the beauty of this place and the all the creatures on it remains long after they have gone. I learned later in the day that that a Native American belief was finding a dead hawk in your path was a sign of blessings to come.

Amazingly the rest of my day got mostly rescheduled in one way or another and I was left to gardening and connecting with the earth that I needed deep in my soul.

In the week ahead I wish you the peace to take a minute (or more) when you need it to recharge and just be in the moment.

Have a great week ahead full of blessings.