___“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.”
~Albert Schweitzer ___ ___
Love calls to us in many ways.
Sometimes we need to sit still, listen for a prompt, and respond to a nudge to act.
Other times we may need to take a risk out of our comfort zones to try something new, to grow for another or ourselves.
A labor of love
One nudge I clearly remember came five years ago when my daughter, now married, got engaged. Her fiancé (now her husband) had just lost both his parents, six months apart. He is a single child, so the loss seemed even bigger, as he became an orphan.
I cannot fathom the mixed emotions this man must have felt—joy for committing to the love of his life and sorrow for not having his parents present to share in the bliss.
Surely there would be a void felt at the wedding, I thought. (And, there was, as the two chairs his parents would have sat in were left empty in the front row in honor of them. Flowers were placed on each chair.)
Before the wedding, I wanted to find a way to somehow include his mother in her son’s memorable event. So, I contacted his aunt and asked her to help me collect pictures of my future son-in-law, from birth to the present day.
I then collected my own set of photos of my daughter through the years, and created a photo album, showing both she and her future husband, side-by-side throughout the years–beginning with pictures of my daughter at three months old, then her fiancé at that age. I repeated the photo placement pattern honoring their milestones–kindergarten, sports they played, high school and college graduations, and other memories, right up until the time they met.
I worked on this album for several days into the wee hours of the morning, trying to guess their equivalent ages throughout the years. I named it “Destiny” for that title represented the way my daughter described knowing immediately she had met the man who would become her husband.
The process of creation was true love–reaching from my own mother soul to include memories my future son-in-law’s mother might have shared had she been alive. “Destiny” was presented, along with other gifts I gave, to my daughter at her wedding shower. It was not the fanciest gift. Yet, from my perspective, it was a rich one, for the meaning it could have over the years. I imagined the couple would one day pass the album on to their own children.
Out of the comfort zone
The most recent act of service required me to step far out of my comfort zone, and hire a talented web designer locally, who had moved with his wife to North Carolina from Venezuela.
I had posted a Facebook ad, looking for someone to create a new WordPress site to reflect the re-branding and upgrading of my 20-year-old coaching practice. John responded, sharing he had done more than 200 sites. His profile was impressive.
There was only one problem: John does not speak English well. He said he had an interpreter available to speak on his behalf when needed. I pondered whether I could work with someone who speaks mostly Spanish, as I do not understand that language. Yet, his academic background and technical skills were superb.
Then, I thought of all those who helped me when I moved cross-country twice. People took a risk on my behalf, hosting me in their homes, and helping me get work.
Like John, I also was rebuilding my business here. It became increasingly clear we could help each other.
Our connection felt divinely guided on so many levels. John believed in my mission (to be disclosed next month when my website launches) so he was willing to take a risk on me. I needed his advanced technical skills as I was now merging two other sites (www.SupportMatters.com and www.Cancerasalovestory.com) into the one new platform.
My gut told me John could elevate the image of my business in ways I was unable to do alone. I was too close to my own branding.
I opted to take a chance.
Communicating through writing has worked well—and it also helped me get very clear on what I wanted. We both showed great patience with one another (and those who know me understand technology is not my favorite subject!).
And, we each gave 200 percent, in what feels like in the long run will have a much bigger purpose than just creating a website.
John in his unique ways is also committed to a life of service. His technical skills may be just the right foundation to get him there.
I hope, like me, you will give him a chance. Keep a lookout for the NEW website he created, which I will be sharing within the month.
In gratitude,
Gail
Thanks again to my friend, Denise Gilliam, nature photographer extraordinaire, for capturing this photo of the cormorants—perfect timing for this blog post. It has been said if you see a cormorant in a dream to take it as a sign to be more open to working with other people. In the spiritual realm, some believe these birds also arrive as a symbol to remind one, that by helping others in need, you will be rewarded at a later time.
NEW THIS WEEK:
For those who live locally in Cary, N.C., and surrounding communities, Gail is leading her “Walking in the Woods” business group. The group is designed to help entrepreneurs, creative types and those who are now working from home connect outside in the healing power of nature. Hikes are limited to 10 persons. Each participant must agree to respectfully walk at least 6? apart.
OTHER PROGRAMS:
- UPGRADE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM with this highly customized, six-session package of one-on-one coaching via phone on “THE JOURNEY TO INSTILLING A LOVE-BASED CONSCIOUSNESS: Release fear, clear emotional toxins, and instill empowering new beliefs.”
- CONNECT TO COMMUNITY through this bi-monthly ZOOM meeting for “CREATING A NEW MINDSET FOR LIVING,” to be offered starting in mid-June. Space is limited to six participants so early registration is recommended.
Learn more about these powerful programs based on the latest in neuroscience and other leading-edge resources, by emailing gailjones@supportmatters.com.
Gail Kauranen Jones is an intuitive coach, gifted wordsmith and inspiring teacher who has been leading others through transformation for more than twenty years. She is the author of two books, Cancer as a Love Story: Developing the Mindset for Living, and To Hell and Back…Healing Your Way through Transition. Both books were met with rave reviews on Amazon and elsewhere.
She recently appeared as a guest “worthiness coach” on CBS TV’s award-winning talk show The Doctors and on Sirius FM Radio. Her articles and “tips” on worthiness have also appeared several times in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper.
She has taught many leading-edge workshops at top spas and wellness centers. She now leads Zoom group coaching programs and is a guest speaker at many related events.
Gail lives a passionate and simple life writing, hiking, connecting in meaningful ways, aligning in joyful collaboration and thriving in nature.