| Welcome
Hey All
Welcome to my
Portage Newsletter.
I'm about to
take this winterized
body to the Virgin Islands for our annual retreat, The Rest of Your
Life:
A Playful Retreat for Successful Life Transitions. There's still room.
Come join us if you're inclined!
I'm one who
does not have a
strong attachment to goals. Oh, I can focus on occasion but, frankly,
I'm
a wanderer. Like the creek in my backyard, I rarely follow a straight
line.
I'm continually picking up new things that cross my path, carrying them
with me for awhile, and discarding old things to the bank. My intent
for
this newsletter, if anything, is just to present the musings of a
wandering
woman. And I appreciate your feedback. Keep it coming!
"I'll let you
be in my dreams
if I can be in yours." ~Bob Dylan
A special
thanks to those of
you who have passed this newsletter on to others.
I'd love to
hear your thoughts,
insights and understandings. deb@portagecoach.com
If you're
anticipating a transition,
personal or business, just give me a call at 231-879-4178 or
877-762-4178.
Back
to
Contents
A
Fly In My House
There's a fly
in my house.
It has been here for two days. It's smaller and looks different than
the
house flies I've seen all winter. And it's bigger than a fruit fly, so
I know it didn't come from the bananas in the kitchen. I'm excited.
It's
the first sign of spring! This fly may be a misfit, but I'm pretty
attracted
to the misfits of this world and thrilled to have it in my life.
So it was a
short leap from
this misfit, the fly, to this month's newsletter. Hey, no excuses for
the
strange wanderings of my mind. That's the point.
The Top Ten
Ways to Enjoy Being
a Misfit:
1. What
causes you to
be labeled a misfit is the very thing that makes you an individualist.
Explore it!
2. Your
“misfit-ness”
is often your strength. Hone it!
3. If
being a misfit
looks like fun, others will follow you. Flaunt it!
4. Every
circumstance
in which you find yourself unsuitable is an opportunity to learn
something new. Uncover it!
5. When
you stand out,
you have a better chance of being heard. Say it!
6. People
will talk
about you. Use it!
7.
Expanding on that
which makes you different will elevate you to one of a kind. Enjoy it!
8. Misfits
often look
at things from slightly different angles. Notice it!
9. Misfits
tend to question
accepted views and to consider contradictory ones. Challenge it!
10. Just
like the fly
in my house, if you're the only one out there, the lanes are wide open!
Floor it!
First, ask
yourself “Am I a
misfit in any way?” And if so, don't concern yourself with hiding or
compensating
for it. But instead, ask yourself, “How can I expand that to other
areas
of my life?” Because today's misfit is tomorrow's maverick.
“Man is
physically as well
as metaphysically a thing of shreds and patches, borrowed unequally
from
good and bad ancestors, and a misfit from the start” ~Ralph Waldo
Emerson
Here's part
of a little ditty
I've been singing lately. My favorite version is Susannah McCorkle’s
A stick, a stone,
It's the end of
the road,
It's the rest of
the stump,
It's a little
alone
It's a sliver
of glass,
It's life, it's
the sun,
It is night, it
is death,
It's a trap,
it's a gun
The oak when
it blooms,
A fox in the
brush,
The knot in the
wood,
The song of a
thrush
The wood of
the wind,
A cliff, a fall,
A scratch, a
lump,
It's nothing at
all
It's the wind
blowing free,
It's the end of
the slope,
It's a beam,
it's a void,
It's a hunch,
it's a hope
And the river
bank talks
Of the waters of
March
It's the end of
the strain
It's the joy in
your heart
The Waters of
March ~Antonio
Carlos Jobim
Back
to
Contents
Peace and
much love
Deb
The
Fine Print
A Note About
My Recommendations
I provide links
in this newsletter
to products and services I am offering or I have personally found
valuable.
If you are ever disappointed with one of these recommendations, please
let them and me know. If they don't make it right, I will.
You can
subscribe or
cancel this newsletter by visiting my home
page
If you find
value in Portage
please pass it along and ask your friends to subscribe. Thank You.
Help me
stay with you.
If you are enjoying Portage, please protect your subscription. If your
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from Deb Martin to come through.
Portage is
published 12
times a year and distributed montly by e-mail. Comments,
submissions
and suggestions are welcome. Please forward any or all of this
newsletter
to those you know will appreciate it and encourage them to subscribe
for
themselves.
Although
this material is
subject to copyright, you may reprint this publication, in whole or
in part, in your company publication, in training, presentations, or
wherever
you feel it would be of benefit. This also holds true for members of
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media. All I ask is that you include the following: Reprinted with
permission
from Deborah Martin of Portage at http://www.portagecoach.com
The names of
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are not shared or sold.
Copyright
2006, all rights
reserved.
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