First I was tuned in to see how the baby would respond to all the ruckus going on outside her womb. In fact, she was pretty still and moved in between the clusters of booms. But she didn't seem particularly startled or disturbed.
Then I got to thinking of those who do not enjoy the noise of fireworks such as some veterans, people with auditory sensitivities, some young children, and dogs. I reflected back on when I was a child, very sensitive to loud noises yet loving the beautiful colors. Even today I prefer the ones that shoot off without the reverberating, deafening bang. And yet over the years I have grown accustomed to this tradition and 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays.
During a particularly long set of fireworks my mind came back around to that ever present question as a coach. What is your spark? What is it that brings joy and motivates you to live the life you dream? If only it were as easy as lighting a fuse... but perhaps it is. We usually know what things bring us joy. We know what we en-joy. It is a matter of working those things into our everyday life.
I'm grateful for these reflections last night. I'm grateful to hold no judgement to not being fully present to the beauty surrounding me last night. I'm grateful to get to witness the fireworks with my husband and friends. I'm grateful for all the effort they went to to put on such a beautiful and grand display. But I'm also grateful for the reminders it served for me. I'm grateful for the ways my mind has already shifted toward the parent's brain. I'm grateful to explore the metaphor of fireworks and to love my job enough to enjoy these little sparks of opportunity in what happens around me. Last but not least, I'm grateful for the bats that helped keep the mosquitos to a minimum.
So what gives you spark? How can you add more spark to your everyday life?
May today reignite our passions. May we find joy in the simple things. Have a beautiful day!