Hi friends. Welcome back to Picture Love. I am so grateful for your time and attention. So recently I have had a lot of conversations with friends who are going through massive life changes. And if you have been listening for any period of time, you know that my entire life has been unpacked to rebuild in the best way possible. But we know that change can be, you know, we can really test our, our growth edges for sure in many different ways. And I had a friend talk to me about wanting to make some changes with her career and taking a new approach to it. And, and it was, there wasn't time to go deep, but it felt in my gut, like she was trying to figure out what is the best end game. And I was feeling levels of overwhelm and maybe some anxiety, whether she was conscious of it or not. And I offered the tidbit, what if we just focused on your next best step? And I, I felt her receive and I was reminded of something that I read a long time ago. It's bound to be an American classic if it's not already, and it's by living American author Andy Andrews. And it was suggested to me by a business coach years ago, lifetimes ago when I was newer in small business. And this book really moved me. It really made an indelible mark. It is a historical fiction. And it's a story about somebody who was really had a kickin' career and then the bottom fell out. And I believe that that's how a lot of people are feeling these days with all of the political and environmental and energetic changes and shifts going on. You know, I'm, I'm not gonna mention all the trials going on here in the beginning of May, 2025, because, well, that's what the news is for, but I am going to acknowledge the fact that we all go through our own version of whatever is going on to the collective, and we each have our, our unique experience. And so with great love and compassion. I extend the suggestion that we all give ourselves compassion, and if something comes up that just feels pretty terrible, maybe give it some attention. Like a little child who's got a whole lot of big feelings and just needs to express themselves. So this book was a delicious way. To see a transformation I, whether it's a book or a movie, or a Ted lasso, sorry, I dropped one of my favorite TV shows. I like characters that grow and develop. That's something that keeps me committed to a character. There has to be some redeemable value. Well, the main character in the Traveler's gift, David Ponder is definitely going through a journey in this book, and it leaves me uplifted and encouraged. And the journey that this book takes you through, you're meeting actual historical characters through the story of David Ponder and. There are lessons with each experience and it's, it's definitely a book that challenges my ability to dream, dream bigger, look at things, and be more present with them instead of just focusing on how do I feel in them. I mean, emotions are one thing, but when we respond only to our emotions and not to actually what is happening under my feet right now? What is happening in front of my nose right now? And taking all that in. We miss things. We miss lessons. We miss opportunities. And I love how this book allows me as the reader to be present in each of these sections. So this, if you haven't figured it out yet, is the ideal book club. Material and it even is set up with book club questions. So clearly the author has done his fair share of inspirational speaking and coaching, whether it's personal, professional, I'm not sure, and I have never heard him speak before. I am just a fan of the writing so far. Anyway, I digress. Now, if you're not out to define your own. Definition of success. Please don't be turned off by the headings of these chapters because it absolutely is something that works on mindset to set you up in business success. But it is completely a hundred percent relatable to life in general. As a matter of fact, it's so relatable. It's been interpreted in into a traveler's gift for teens. So it's been repackaged and revoiced for young people, early on in the process of just figuring out how to life in the world outside of the nest. So. The Traveler's gift is something that, I'll be honest, I have bought this book many times and I just kept giving it away because I felt like there was something in it that would really support a friend at various times in life. And I was so excited to unpack a box of books since our recent move and to be reminded of this book and when my girlfriend was feeling like she wanted to call in some better, better things for herself, more sustainable things where she can utilize her gifts and her freedom that is hers to have and, and do something in a new way that utilizes her gifts, but does not drain her energy like other jobs have done. And I just felt like this was the perfect read. So. My homework this week is to read this book for the um-teenth time, but this version of me is gonna receive it in a totally different way. But I wanna share with you a couple questions that whether you've read the book or not, are delicious topics to discuss over coffee, over wine, or at your book club when everybody is reading it, a chapter at a time. I will never spoil the story for you. So if you're intrigued in reading Traveler's Gift or downloading an audio book. I'm not gonna ruin it, but I am going to offer a couple questions that I think are so applicable right now, and one of the questions I have for you is, what is your typical response to a crisis? The person you are today, I. How do you respond to crisis, and what does it show you when you're going through that response to a crisis? Personally for me, I think it's interesting that I have reached a level of awareness where I can observe what I just said or how I'm, what feelings are kind of percolating. I can actually pay attention to them and say, you know, in my own mind, what does that mean? Where's that coming from? Is that responding to the person in front of me or the thing that's actually happening? Or is it responding just to old stuff coming up? I. Because everything that we learn is attached to understanding of things in the past. And so often people will say something like, I'll never have another pet again. It was too painful to lose them. And, and so they make these rules, you know, based on a decision, based on a time of loss. And, and then there's always the, Hmm, why do I feel that way? Is it because that pain was. Something that destroyed me or was that a pain that told me I really loved this creature, this person, this experience. I loved it so much. I wanted it to keep going. And if you loved it that much, hmm. Was the good. So good. You might open up to it it again. So this is definitely, I mean, I'm not gonna be the one to judge whether you have a second pet after. Losing one, but in just using that as an example, know, sometimes old stories and old experiences create these not even conscious rules that we go by because they get packaged up in something like, this happened, this happened, this was the result, this is how I felt, and therefore it's good or bad. But in fact, honestly, the things that were messy and difficult and deconstructed probably have the most to teach me. More than my wins. So while success or my definition of success in any given scenario is you know, a goal, it's something to shoot for. It keeps me in a direction, which is wonderful when I don't, on the times when I don't accomplish what I set out to do in the way I set out to do it. There's some delicious gifts of knowledge that come from what went allegedly wrong. When you put that all in a bird's eye perspective, there really is no wrong. So, well, I'm sure people could argue that point with me, but maybe consider it what is, what is the, the parts we liked or the parts we learned? Just a thought. Now a question that I would love to chew on with some friends that's a result of the book club questions in the book is, what does faith mean to you? And I do not mean it with a religion hat on, I mean with a human hat on. What does faith mean to you? Faith can be. You know, believing in something that you have yet to see. But I think it's so much bigger than that. It's, it's the application of it. The knowing that you're being held, knowing that you're not in this alone, that the, knowing that there is great power in each one of us that we can't always see just in the mirror. We're just in the documents, you know, our value is so much greater than this physical body. Our value is in our human spirit, in our souls. And when we have faith in the soul, that's something you can't put on a spreadsheet or measure with tools or instruments. It's something that we get to each interpret and apply to our own perspectives in life. So what does faith mean to you and. What places are fear taking up and not allowing faith to live in that space? I mean, fear could be simply, you know. Afraid to say the wrong thing. Dancing on eggshells around somebody who's sensitive or fear for one's safety. There's a lot of fear stories out there. I don't need to make up new ones, but I'm just saying in this journey, as long as we're living, as long as we're learning. As long as we're paying attention, we're gonna dis discover things that cause us to stop and not do something, or not go deeper or not heal something because there's a fear of facing something that is waiting to be pushed through. Because the only way I've ever really healed from something is by going through it, not by stuffing it in a box or pushing it down. So just a thought, you know. What does faith mean to you, and where can the faith come in that was occupied by some fashion of fear? That's one that we probably could talk about all night long together. Now, when I'm reflecting on the end of the book, which I'm not going to give away, I did develop my own question. That would be a really fun book club conversation. What is an example of a time where you were making progress for something and you knew you were being divinely protected? I mean, if you wanna use the the terms that resonate with you the most, you know, I'm not talking with a religious hat, but you can put that on if that's where you're. Where your response comes from, but when in your life have you been doing something? You've been moving forward and you knew there was some energy outside of your own being that was protecting you. It could have been nature, it could have been what some people consider coincidence. I don't believe in coincidence. That's just my personal. Or a time when. There were things out of your control that worked in your favor. Those would be some delicious story swapping opportunities, and I would love to hear one of yours. So this is actually an invitation. I'm going to link up my email in the show notes Tell me a story about a time when you knew you were being protected from outside yourself, whether it's people, whether it's nature, whether it's some universal law that you might not even be able to explain. I would love to hear stories where you knew. There is something working in your favor. Those are the stories I would love to share and picture, love and project more of them, because the more these stories that we share, the more aware we are that these things are happening around us and we're so focused in the hustle and the bustle of life, or the transition or the moving or the packing or the changing of jobs, or the filling out of resumes or the graduations. All of these points of change. Really exciting times, and if we get too caught up in it or too busy in it, it's so easy to overlook things that are being done for us in our favor, and I'm reminded of an affirmation that I've heard from many optimists whose voices I love and appreciate the universe is conspiring in my favor. And I really believe it happens for all of us, we just need to notice. So let's hear your stories. That would mean the world to me. If I could read and compile stories of ways where people were feeling divinely. Protected, and it does not have to be anything scientifically proven or historically documented. It's just what is your truthful story about protection? So the last question that I have for you that I would love for you to respond with and share with me is what book has had such a positive impact on you? And it does not have to be nonfiction, it can be something fantasy or something that's, even in your trade, I don't care, but something that actually moved you and challenged your mindset or helped you refine a mindset or something that just caught your attention and it's worthy of mentioning. I would love to know what titles and authors are out there who have helped you picture love better in life, even if you didn't know it at the time and you're just looking back and realizing that book had an impact. That would be so wonderful to have a picture, love, good Reads list. Let me know. Let's pay it forward. Let's help each other picture love by filling our heads with good positive thoughts by chewing on wonderful conversations, by answering questions that really help us refine what matters most to ourselves and to others that we influence. And let's see how much we can do to bolster each other. To hold each other up during this crazy world changing because no matter what the news tells you, there is always something good going on behind the scenes if it's not center stage. That's all I have for you today, folks. I hope you grab a copy of Traveler's Gift the library, download it, or tell me if you've read it and let's book club it and let's invite each other to. Unplug from the social media for just a minute. Nothing wrong with it, but just continue to unplug and see where wonderful points of connection can happen between humans while we are inspired by beautiful written words. See you next time.