Portage Transition Coaching October 2011 Newsletter Keeping the Campfire Burning<title>

Welcome

Welcome to my Portage Newsletter. If you find value, please pass this along to others you feel might appreciate my writing. You can subscribe to this newsletter at my website, Portage. Or, stop by my Lessons From The Creek Blog where you can subscribe to these posts and more.

I am motivated by excellence, not perfection. So I tend to contradict myself. Sometimes while writing, I look to my notes and see I've backtracked and about to cross my own path going in a totally different direction. Other times, I just flat out trip over my own bootstraps. Excellence demands that I enjoy the moment I am in right now and share that truth today, even though the same may not be true for me tomorrow. Striving for perfection freezes me up and keeps me from writing anything at all. So please enjoy my words if they work for you and discard what does not. I won't mind a bit.

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Keeping the Campfire Burning

At the top of my love list of all things Fall are warm campfires, an illuminating centerpiece for all my backyard gatherings. At the end of a cold and damp day, whether cutting firewood or playing with my hunting and fishing friends, I gravitate to the fire with the enthusiasm of old dog in need of comforting warmth. No amount of clothing, no matter how adequate and appropriate for this season, can compete with the radiating heat of my campfire. On crisp evenings, I hold my feet in front of the flames, the warmth spreading up to my glowing face. Once my jaw is adequately lubricated by an appropriate amount of both drink and campfire heat, I find my words coming effortlessly, maybe too much so. So, I rotate and turn my back to the fire, enjoying the inhale of brisk air and the immediate silence that comes with facing the darkness and a brilliantly star-lit sky.

For me, campfires are:

Peace: As I start to warm from the outside in, I feel a sense of peace. I slow down. I breathe deeply. My campfire is a place to just be.

Great Conversations: When I have the pleasure of sharing a warm campfire with friends, and sometimes even strangers, the conversations always seem a little more provocative, open, entertaining and free.

Stories: Oh, yes, the conversations are wonderful. And the stories we tell around a campfire are even better. Even the weakest storyteller among us is able to weave a tale worthy of attention while the heat glows on his or her face and only the little ring of fire keeps the dark and the cold at bay.

Reflection: As the firelight and heat reflect off everything in the presence of a campfire, one warms to the opportunity to go inward and reflect about those things most important to us as well as the little things that seemed trivial minutia during the day.

Food: Campfires mean the concoctions never end. Eating begins as soon as the fire is started and can last well into the night. Everything has its own cooking time and while some dishes need a quick hot flame, others do better buried deep in hot coals. This time of year it's spice cider, baked potatoes, wild game, mulled wine, warm garlic bread, a big pot of chili or stew or chowder, spoon bread, bread pudding... no hurry, we have more than 14 hours of darkness this time of year and it's increasing every minute.

Morning Coffee. If I've banked my campfire just right, I've got good hot coals with which to enjoy my morning coffee.

Come on over any time. I'd love to share a fire and hear about what keeps you warm. Bring your flashlight.

"To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world" ~Charles Dudley Warner

"The most tangible of all visible mysteries - Fire." ~Leigh Hunt

"One can enjoy a wood fire worthily only when he warms this thoughts by it as well as his hands and feet." ~Odell Shepard

"Fire is the most tolerable third party." ~Henry David Thoreau

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The Adventure and Retreat Leader Training Audio Series

Originally designed for coaches, this audio series is appropriate for Speakers, Authors, Holistic Practitioners, and all Heart- and Nature-Based Entrepreneurs who want to offer Outings, Adventures and Retreats.

Let us help you Take It Outside!

You will learn:

The ins and outs of leading a successful adventure retreat
How and where to find your perfect adventure setting
How to market your offerings
Where to find participants
How to set fees and handle registration
What to say in invitations, flyers and brochures
Creating a theme for your outing
Creating a retreat series
Registration, cancellations, policies, etc.
The little things that will make you crazy and how to avoid them
How to work with outfitters and vendors
How to create an ongoing retreat engine to keep your adventures full with participants who pay well
And much more!

This series includes:

The complete playbook
Seven audio recordings
Invitation to our private Adventure and Retreat Leader Success team on facebook at no additional charge. There you are welcome to ask questions and get loads of support
Invitation to our Adventure and Retreat Success Team telecalls. Six 90-minute calls per year for only $150. Calls are recorded so you can listen should you miss a call or just go back and listen again for more insight.

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The Fine Print
A Note About My Recommendations
Occasionally I provide links in this newsletter to products and services I am offering or 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.

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Portage is published about 12 times a year and distributed monthly by email. Comments, submissions and suggestions are welcome.

Although this material is subject to copyright, you may reprint this publication in whole or in part in your company publication, presentations, training, or wherever you feel it may be valued. This also holds true for members of the media. All I ask is that you include the following:
Reprinted with permission from Deborah Martin of Portage at http://www.portagecoach.com
If you would like a short bio, I am happy to provide one.

Copyright© 2011 by Deborah Martin. All rights reserved.

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