Cloudy morning, change of plans, and something totally unexpected

Summer mornings in Northern CA are usually hot and can melt your body pretty quickly. Yet the weather today is weirdly cloudy and cool. 

It’s Monday, and this morning is another beautiful, cloudy sunrise. I love hiking and just did my favorite Sacramento River trail on Saturday and Sunday. I save it for the weekends because it’s a good 4-mile hike and I can take my time. Hmmm, I might need to change things up today.

I grab my coffee and sit my butt down on the comfy deck couch to watch the sunrise, and a hummingbird whizzes right by my head. That was a close one. I swear they’re going to smack into me one of these days.

After a few minutes, I put my coffee cup down and take a good look at the big clouds shading the sun. Something inside me says, “Yeah, Shannon, you’ve got to get on the trail again.”

Hmmmm, my legs aren’t as tired as I thought after doing 9 miles in two days…

I look at my calendar and no appointments till the afternoon. I can do this. After all, how many more cool, cloudy summer mornings will we have in July??? Yeah, this is probably the last one until October.

So I grab my gear, jump in my car, and head to the trail.

When I get to the parking lot, I see my neighbor, Hailee, getting out of her car with her six-month-old son. I actually saw her yesterday as I was ending my walk, so it feels like kismet to see her again.

I walk over to her car and say, “Hi, looks like with the nice weather we both had the same idea.” She smiles and says, “Yes, it’s been so nice lately, I had to get out before work.” I agree and ask if she wants company. She says yes, and we’re off.

I’m pleasantly surprised that, because of all my “grief hiking “over the past 11 months, she and I kept up a terrific walking pace.

Grief hiking is when you’ve lost your beloved dog of 12 years and your mom within six months of each other. Then you make the tough decision to blow up your marketing business because all you want to do is coach women executives and founders through deeper work. 

This all happens because you’re grieving, losing identities, and rethinking your life. So you go out to the woods and find solace in nature, the birds, deer, foxes, lizards, and other animals that visit during the hike. 

My neighbor and I have a really nice walk. She turns around after a mile to head back. I say thanks for the company. Then I soldier on because I want to get my 4 miles in.

The next part of the trail is always tough. There are many steep hills. And it’s also a gorgeous part of the trail. It follows the river’s bend, and the trail is high above it. I always see all kinds of birds and insects on this part of the trail.

After I run down the steep hill and turn the corner at this big rock formation, I see something in a tree up ahead, next to the river.

As I get closer, I do a double-take. Holy moly, it’s a Bald Eagle! This is the third one I’ve seen on the trail in a year. This one is so close to the trail. It’s maybe 10 or so feet from me. I love how it just looks at me, as if it can see right through me.

I feel this kismet energy with it. It’s such a majestic bird, and I’m seeing it on a morning when I wasn’t even supposed to be on the trail. After I take a few photos, I just stand there and look at it one last time before I decide to take off.

Then I realize that walking away is a bit hard. I could have stared at it all day… It’s rare for me to see such beautiful animals in nature up close. Living most of my life in cities on the East Coast, I never saw birds and wildlife as I have here, even when I went hiking in the woods.

Once I get a few steps away from it, a huge grin pops on my face, from ear to ear.

I am simply feeling grateful that I listened to my inner voice. And today, because I listened, I see a Bald Eagle.

That’s when I realize that who I am is constantly changing. I’m being pulled away from my work identity as a marketer. Seeing the eagle reminds me that I need to rise high enough to see the whole landscape of my life.

I don’t have to figure it all out right this minute. I’m being called to trust what I know, and then move with precision when it feels incredibly right. I don’t feel lost, I’m just learning to navigate my life from a much different place now. And yes, that’s hard.

Do you know this feeling too? Something in your life is changing, and you’re a bit overwhelmed and unsure about what comes next. 

For me, it’s about paying attention while I’m walking and living through these transitions. What I love most is that sometimes an encounter like this reaches in at the exact moment I’m ready to receive it. 

Has this ever happened to you? Hit reply, I’d love to hear about it. 🙂

And maybe the real magic happens when we listen to that voice inside us, trust what we know, and keep taking that next guided step.

Hands at your back.
Always,
Xox
Shannon

Weekly Photos:

It’s all about animals this week, and the many critters that have been crossing my path while hiking through my grief. 🙂

1. Here’s the Bald Eagle, and sadly, my old iPhone didn’t like the cloudy day, so it didn’t do the eagle justice. It’s a bit blurred. And still, look at those talons and his/her stealthy stance on that branch.
2. I walked a little bit away and got this pic of it between the branches. The wind was blowing, so she/he looks a bit more relaxed here, and her/his head feathers are a bit disheveled.
3. And with all my pics last week of Sedona, I didn’t make room for this little guy. Last week, a little grey fox darted across the Sacramento trail and startled me. Then it stops and stares at me. They’re so small, cat-like, and stealthy. So I got this picture, and then he ran to his next destination.
4. Here’s Albert, again, the lizard. He’s a Western Fence Lizard. He lives in our yard. I always see him sunning himself on the deck, or in this case, the side of the house. In this picture, he looks like a shadow. He’s not. That’s him hanging out on the side of the house.
5. You know me, I always find hearts EVERYWHERE. So I found this after I was chopping an apple. I picked up all the pieces, so I thought, and this was left on the cutting board. I like how it’s pinkish red, too.
6. Ruby is honestly the cutest dog ever. (Cockapoo) I love dog-sitting for her. She kind of looks like a muppet. And she’s definitely a lap dog. We wore each other out last week, and we love nap time.
7. Here’s the big view of all the clouds we had the morning that I saw the Bald Eagle. You know me, I love shots like these because of the mirror image in the water. It wasn’t as still cuz the dam was letting out some water to keep all the farms south of the river happy.

P.S.S. Personal Invitation – You know your work matters, and maybe something in you shuts down the minute it’s time to get the word out there about what you do. I want you to know that you’re not lazy, inconsistent, or lacking discipline. You’re brilliant at what you do. And you’re too close to it. That’s where I can come in and guide you in focusing on your mindset, messaging, and marketing. They all work together to create your successful business. Interested in discovering more? Leave a comment or click this page to send me a message.

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