Jennifer Bentley Coaching

I hear it before I see it.The unmistakable sound of rain, rain in the desert. We are in a drought. I listen more closely. I take delight in the sound of these tiny droplets of water landing. I watch them being absorbed almost as quickly as they fall. The parched hillsides drink every drop in. It’s the opposite of drowning. It is life affirming. I hear the birds sing in their delight.... Even the koi swim to the top of the pond. I am reminded just how temporary all this is, that even a drought won’t last forever. I grab my bathrobe. I run outside to the pond. I too soak soak up the rain. I smile and twirl on the wet decking beneath my feet. This is why we dance in the rain, because we too know what it’s like to be parched. I am grateful.

Never underestimate the power of a good pair of boots or trail runners to change your life

The dogs stir, even through the darkness of the night I can see their ears prick up, eyes searching. A wall of glass and aluminum, (is that what little Japanese import vans are made of?) lies between them and what they believe moves on the other side. My husband sleeps, undisturbed by them and now me also searching the darkness. He never feels compelled to search for things to worry about, I am jealous of his superpower. The dogs and I continue to gaze out into the night. M...y eyes begin to adjust, I ask myself what are we searching for, why look for things that go bump in the night? Isn’t this what I have done for most of my life, search the darkness for something to be frightened of. Will knowing make it any less frightening? Time & past experiences have shown me I will always do what I have decided to do in spite of my fears, so has worrying ever served me? The answer has always been no, it only adds unnecessary stress. I am safe, they are safe, we are safe. The glass & aluminum assures me of this. Some walls are good, we call good walls certainty. The dogs begin to settle but not without one last glances into the night. They seem disappointed. As they nestle down into the warmth of the bed I feel their bodies press up tight against mine. They jam themselves between my husband and I. They feel no need for certainty unless it involves receiving love and dinner at exactly five pm. They love hard, they explore bravely, they protect the pack. I admire this about them. We humans have a long history of moving through both light & darkness with dogs by our sides. An unbreakable bond that extends back 15,000 years. Both Bailey & Stuart take one last look out before turning their gazes to meet mine. We look at each other, Stuart gently licks my face. I smile, happy that our bond with dogs is unbreakable I take comfort in this. I feel grateful for them, woman’s best friend. I begin to settle but not without noticing I too feel slightly disappointed. Tomorrow we will roam, explore bravely & maybe, just maybe I will take comfort in my pack & not feel the urge to look for things to worry about.

I am sipping coffee from the passenger seat of the Delica, the rain is lightly falling on the windshield. It doesn’t bother me in the least, I am in my happy place. No, not the van, the mountains, although being in the adventure machine also makes me happy! I look out through the droplets of water beginning to accumulate and run down the glass, taking the path of least resistance. I think about my own path and how often the path of least resistance wasn’t the one I chose fo...r myself. I’ve been told, more than once I like to do things the hard way. When one person has an opinion of me I tend to brush it off, when it’s several people, especially those who know me well, I tend to examine it. So there I sat examining my preference for doing things the hard way when I had an epiphany! What if, doing things the hard way is in the long run the path of least resistance? Stay with me! What if, doing what others consider the easy way actually turns out to be the hardest path of all for us because well, we are not them! Each of us has our own unique journey through this thing called life, and each of us will have different hopes, dreams, places, events and experiences that will speak to us in a way only we can understand. Sure in the short-term maybe taking the long-way home, or as I like to call it, the scenic route isn’t as fast or efficient but if we truly believe life is about the journey what do we actually have to lose? Perhaps even more importantly, what is there for us to discover? If we don’t have lots of different options and experiences how do we know what is right for us. For me, it’s all one big beautiful adventure and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Have you ever done something the hard way only to realize it was the best path for you? I want to hear about so please drop a comment

A little Monday morning motivation to sit in the discomfort of growth.

A little Monday motivation to sit in the discomfort of growth.