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Portage
December 2007 Newsletter In This Issue...
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| Welcome
Hey All Wow. It has been a short month. And a short year, for that matter. Oh, when I reflect on my comings and goings of 2007, it seems very full indeed. It's just that when I remember back to early January without snow, ice fishing in March, Spring and Summer trips to the far north in search of "the big one," and the wane of summer into fall, it all feels like yesterday. This year we have snow in December. My walks with the dogs take a little longer and a little more effort. I'll have to break out the snowshoes soon. But the dogs will persist in taking me on their walk each day. Their routine rules in this household. Last Sunday I took off my mittens to use my camera. Later, about 400 feet down the trail, I discovered I was missing one mitten. After traversing that 400 feet many times I could not find it. Now my big black lab, Styx, has a reputation as a thief. In fact, his nickname is Boo Boo because, while he has a big heart and wants to be good, he just can't. So I was pretty sure he was the reason I could not find my mitten. I searched my trail and every spot along the trail where dog prints wandered into the woods. I went home with only one mitten and it snowed heavily that night. On Monday, I gave Boo Boo a stern talking to and we made a beeline for that same spot on the trail. The big brat went right to the base of a pine tree and dug up the mitten he had buried the day before. I'm never too angry with him. Years ago the vet told me his hips were so bad he'd likely have to be put down by the time he was five- or six-years-old. He'll be eight this coming May and manages three to six miles a day with me. His energy is boundless and I'm so grateful I didn't spend the last few years fretting and in fear of his outcome. I did, however, spoil him rotten and I'm gladly paying the price now. 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! If you're anticipating a transition, personal or business, just give me a call at 231-879-4178 or 877-762-4178. The Courage of Your Convictions This month I was interview by Megan Raphael, author of The Courage Code, on her monthly call, Conversations with a Woman of Courage. I enjoyed my time with everyone on the call. Thank you, Megan. You can listen to that call at http://www.courageproject.com/workshops.html So I've found myself musing about courage. My dictionary tells me, that courage is "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear." I don't believe it. Who are we kidding? When did we learn that courage means without fear? I must have been absent that day. Why can't fear sit side by side with the valor and victory we associate with courageous acts? And how did this definition get so distorted? A quick trip to my etymology dictionary tells me that the Latin root of courage, cor, means heart, “which remains a common metaphor for inner strength.” When I am being courageous, my courage comes from my heart in spite of my fear, not instead of it. In more primitive times, our courageous acts were merely a fear-induced survival instinct to fight or flee from an immediate danger. We survived because of a nice, healthy fear. Today, mostly, we fear the consequences of imagined things yet to come, not anything real and looming. So today's courageous acts are our willingness to move through our contrived fear. That kind of courage comes from a softer more intuitive and “heart-felt” feeling that our conviction about what we desire is greater than our imagined fear. When we have that sense, that knowing from our heart and not our mind that our convictions are right, we don't need to fight or flee. We simply flow. So as 2007 ends, take a look at your manufactured fears and use them to do something courageous, something heartfelt, for yourself. I’ll smile and wave as I see you bouncing downstream and flowing gently into 2008. Cheers! A Few Quotes to Take to “Heart” “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.” ~Ambrose Redmoon “Fear and courage are brothers.” ~Proverb “Courage is tiny pieces of fear all glued together.” ~Irisa Hail “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” ~Dorothy Bernard “Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.” ~John Wayne The Courage Project at www.courageproject.com I would love and appreciate if you would visiting my Market America franchise web portal at www.marketamerica.com/debmartin/ Peace and much love
The Fine Print
You can subscribe to this newsletter by visiting the subscription box on my home page at www.portagecoach.com 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 email address is about to change, please remember to visit my home page and subscribe your new address. And if your email service automatically deletes large broadcasts like this one, let them know you want Portage from Deb Martin to come through. Portage is published 12 times a year and distributed monthly 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 the 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 newsletter subscribers are not shared or sold. Copyright (c) 2007 by Deborah Martin. All rights reserved. |