The shortening days of autumn are, indeed, upon us. I love the fall season. It is full and ripe. It is the culmination, harvesting and reaping of all that we have sewn this year.

And, so, it is time to celebrate. Fall harvest celebrations are happening in every corner of our continent. Images of grinning children, huge pumpkins and corn stocks come to mind. Here in the Okanagan Valley, we have just celebrated the Fall Wine Festival. So much bounty!! (So much wine, so little time….)

A time to give thanks. This season is the cornucopia of life. How can we not pause to take stock of all our blessings? We live in such a hurried environment these days, that sometimes we forget to stop and appreciate all that we have. We pass by those moments where we can bask in the warmth of accomplishment and fulfillment.

It’s a time to reflect on the past, and gaze into the future. Busy, chaotic Christmas/Holidays will be here before we know it! And, then the New Year is come and gone. Resolutions made in haste are soon forgotten.

I find this is the ideal time of year for crystal ball gazing. It’s more of a dreamy, soft sort of look ahead as opposed to the hard, by the numbers goals that I would set in January. The challenges and successes of this year are still a fresh taste in my mouth. I am savouring my victories, my accomplishments. I can still catch the bitterness of the disappointments. I have a generous sense of my potential.

So, I would invite you to sink into this season, and gather it around you like a warm blanket. See your glass full to the brim, and make a toast in celebration. Smell the aroma of all you have achieved this year. With each sip, say a word of thanks, appreciate the bounty you have created. And then, as you savour the lingering finish, dream into the future. Picture yourself in the rosy glow of next autumn. What will you be celebrating and giving thanks for then?

I love this time of year. We’re enjoying spectacular Indian Summer weather, the grapes are being harvested, crush is on full bore. There’s a great energy about this season. It feels positive and productive. It’s all about abundance and the successful culmination of effort expended. It leaves me feeling full and grateful.

And, expectant. We’re also taking the harvest and processing it into future enjoyment. So, in that way, the harvest is not an end, but a beginning.

This weekend we harvested, crushed and pressed our pinot gris and sauvignon grapes; and we bottled some of our 2007 reds. Everything is pure potential. Everything just another beginning.

Can you see me smiling?

I’ve spent time trying to figure it out. Am I stuck because I am afaid of something? What is that fear? Am I avoiding a task because I just plain don’t like to do it? Sometimes for sure. When I find that I am doing everything else under the sun rather than the one thing I know I “should” be doing, I have tried to analyze my actions.

What is going on?? What are the causes of procrastination? Why don’t I seem any good at overcoming procrastination? The harder and harder I try to figure it out, the futher from reach it seems to be.

I had a coaching call with a lovely group of ladies this morning on this very topic. And, we came up with some very interesting ideas. So, in the form of brainstorming here are a few of strategies we came up with to stop procrastination:

• ask ourselves what’s the worst that could happen?
• get in touch with our “Why”. What is important about getting it done?
• Just Do It! Take a leap of faith
• break the activity down to baby steps and just do one
• make a commitment to someone else
• be creative and work from a fresh perspective
• focus on the value of the activity
• don’t do it! What’s the worst that could happen if you just left it?
• delegate it to someone else

What other ways of dealing with procrastination can you think of?

One of the ways that has been working for me is to look at my list and ask myself “what CAN I do right now?”. This is sort of an adaptation of the Action System developed for Compass by Kim George based on her principals of abundance intelligence. I’ve been working with the Compass Coaching Network for several months now, and this has been one of my biggest take-aways.

When I start to feel overwhelmed, or I’m avoiding something by wasting time, whatever the case may be… I just stop and ask myself what I can do. Right now. In this moment. And, it never fails to help me get into action.

And, once you get into action, (even if it’s not on the task you have been avoiding) you break the inertial,  feel like you are in control, and build some positive momentum.

Try a few of these hints, share some more, and let us know what works for you!

This quote was on an email that I received recently, and I thought - “How true!”. And, I also thought about how this could apply to the “not enough” syndrome that most of us fall into at least occasionally.

It seems like there is this huge prevalence of scarcity thinking. “I don’t have enough of…”, or “I’ll do such & such as soon as….” or “when I get better at…” or “I can’t do (blank) because I don’t have….” or “I’m not good enough”.

We have a tendancy to put everything off “until”. We spend all our energy focusing on what it is we don’t have.

How would it be if we changed our thought patern just a tiny bit? What would change if I said “I can do xxx right now, and it will be even better when yyyy”. How would things be different if I really focused on what I already have, be grateful for it, and do what I can do today?

The Compass Coaching program is based on what they call “Abundance Intelligence” which has been adapted from Kim George’s book called “Coaching into Greatness“. I’ve been delving into their coaching program both as a client and now as a Certified Compass Coach for the last couple of months. And, I love it!

I find that feels really empowering. It gives me choice. It creates abundance. What is it I can do, right now? Today? It blows all of the obstacles out of the water!!

Every time I get stuck, I ask myself that question: “What can I do?”. And, it never fails to get me into action. It also makes me feel full, and blessed. I feel satisfied instead of wanting. I feel more peaceful, less anxious.

What would change for you if you chose to focus on what you do have? What you can do? Look at your strengths (and those of others) rather than weaknesses?

How would you feel?

PS. Another book that I have really enjoyed and found very enlightening on the topic of scarcity & abundance is “Trance of Scarcity” by Victoria Castle. Check it out!

It’s seems like we are really and truly into the “Dog Days” of summer.

According to Wikipedia, the “Dog Days” of summer go back in tradition all the way to the Ancient Egyptian, Romans & Greeks.

In Ancient Rome, the Dog Days extended from July 24 through August 24. The dates vary a little across the cultures, but all represent the hottest, sultriest days of summer. It’s a time of year when many of us just feel downright lazy.

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.“  ~Sam Keen

Wow! How about that. What if being lazy really could be respectable! What would that give you permission to do? What if you could say, without any guilt, “I’m going to sit on my patio & sip Rose’” instead of doing the dishes? What if being lazy was really GOOD for you?

I’m here to argue that it really is. Allowing yourself to be lazy is truly good for you! We have become so ingrained with the expectation that we have to be busy all the time, that most of us don’t think we are being effective if we don’t have at least 3 things on the go at once! We feel like we are not pulling our weight if we aren’t running around with like a chicken with our head cut off. So, when do you rest? Revitalize? Re-energize your batteries? Many of us feel the pull of laziness, but resist!

I think that if the ancient peoples recognized the pull to be lazy in mid-summer, and we still feel that pull today, maybe we should take heed! Maybe that is confirmation of the truth that we all need some down time to make our UP time more productive.

What would you do if you allowed yourself to be lazy? Would you read a book? Listen to the bees in the garden? Take a nap?

I challenge you to find some time in the next month to celebrate the “Dog Days” of summer! Let go of routine. Set an un-goal to revel in the experience of being lazy. Give yourself permission to NOT do.

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” John Lubbock

I’m going for the Rose’ right now! What about you?

Spend a weekend in the heart of South Okanagan Wine Country indulging your passionate side!

• Tour and taste some of the gems of the famed Black Sage Bench.
• Learn the nuances of food & wine pairing with our Sommelier.
• Enjoy an intimate gourmet dinner with local wine makers.
• Re-ignite the passion in your relationship with a certified life and relationship coach.

Located in the beautiful wine country of the South Okanagan, the retreat takes place at Spirit Ridge Resort & Spa, offering unparalleled luxury accomodation set against the backdrop of stunning desert landscape overlooking vineyards and Osoyoos Lake.

The date is November 20 - 22, 2009. Interested? Find out more at www.Life-Uncorked.com/Retreat or www.spiritridge.ca/passion.

Exactly, what does it take to live a long, strong, fulfilling life? Read on…..

Getting to Know the 94-Year-Old Dr. Marion Downs…

Marion P. Downs, DHS, DSc (Hon.)

How do some people, as they grow older, continue to lead happy, vigorous, event-filled lives, while others don’t? Meet Dr. Marion Downs. In her 94 years, she has…

Participated in a mini-triathlon (running, swimming and biking) at age 89.

Won Senior Olympics gold medals in tennis.

Achieved mandated hearing tests for more than 90% of US newborns when she was an audiologist in her 50s.

Retired — often.

Here’s what she has to say…

It’s fun to be old. I can do almost anything I want to do. Nobody cares! But one thing I know — to continue, I must take care of myself physically and mentally.

My “old age” got off to a great start. The day I turned 51, I stood at the top of a hill wearing ski gear that my kids had left in a closet, scared to barrel down that first slope. I turned to the instructor and said, “I can’t do this! It’s too steep. What should I do?” He said, “Shut up and ski! You know how.” I did? Yes, even though it was my first time, somehow I did. So I went.

Now, whenever life gets strange and I don’t know what to do next, I tell myself, “Shut up and live! You know how.”

Most of us are living longer than our parents did, with no guidelines to see us through those critical years. “Girls” in their 80s and younger claim I’m their role model and ask for my longevity secrets.

A few years ago, I noticed that youngsters in their 50s and 60s dared to write books about how to live to a ripe old age. Why not me? I know how! So I wrote a book, too.

MY PRIORITIES

My three children, 11 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren are 38 great reasons to stick around. But only I can take care of myself. And I do.

I believe in taking full responsibility for one’s own life. Stop blaming Grandpa. According to a report on aging from Harvard, our genes account for only about 25% to 35% of our longevity and 30% of our physiological changes. My parents died at 72. Not me.

Maintaining a vigorous old age requires determination. My number one priority: Daily exercise.

Every morning I stretch for 15 to 20 minutes. Back stretches keep me free of pain from a serious back problem decades ago. Neck and shoulder stretches keep my head high, shoulders back. Daily leg stretches prevent the old folks’ shuffle, caused by short, weak leg muscles. Striding is better.

At home, I do an hour of strengthening exercises (with weights, stretchy exercise bands, on a large balance ball and with a soccer ball) three times a week and one to two hours of aerobics (mostly running, but I love my three-wheel bicycle, too) four times a week. My trainer, whom I call the Marquis de Sade, protects me from harm but keeps me hopping. I see him periodically for consultations about increasing the number of repetitions of an exercise, trying a new exercise regimen or device and general advice and help.

Exercise is play, too. Tennis has been my game since I retired from full-time work at 68. I prefer it over golf because it involves more activity. I play two hours three times a week in a league with changing partners.

MY SO-CALLED DIET

I’m no dietitian. But I look pretty good for a nonagenarian, and people ask for my nutritional secrets.

What I eat: Foods high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Lots of fruit and as many veggies as I can swallow.

That regimen keeps me lean, clean, healthy and strong.

Another essential food group: Each morning I put a milk chocolate turtle on the kitchen counter. I admire it all day and eat it at night.

MY FAVORITE DISEASES

I’ve had them all, done research and come up with some answers…

Osteoarthritis. This age-related degenerative joint disease is the most common condition of older people. Deal with it, forget it and get on with your life.

Keep your joints moving. Exercise is the best long-term remedy. Recommended: If you injure yourself at all, have a sports medicine orthopedist oversee your exercise program. While a torn rotator cuff in my shoulder was healing, my doctor let me play tennis as long as I didn’t raise my arm high while serving.

Bursitis. At one point, hip pain shut down my tennis game. Unacceptable! Acupuncture helped only one side. Cortisone shots worked, but can’t be repeated indefinitely. Vioxx helped, but was taken off the market four years later because it raised heart attack risk. By then, though, it had let me exercise all my joints and subdue the pain for a long time.

Sleeping on my side with a hard pillow between my knees has kept my hip bursitis away. Bonus: This position helps to prevent back trouble. Double bonus: Lying on my left side prevents acid reflux, the surging up of stomach acid that plagued me for years.

Lung disease. Many oldies, including me, pay the price of having smoked in youth. I smoked two packs a day (except during pregnancy and breastfeeding) from ages 18 to 58. At 80, I developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). My breathing is impaired, but I live with it under treatment by a pulmonary specialist. Drugs such as bronchodilators can help. If I weren’t a lifelong exercise fiend, I would be on oxygen.

Vertigo. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is very common in older people. With older age, especially if we have had migraines, the little calcium stones floating inside our ears that help us balance can cut loose and drift into the wrong spaces.

My BPPV started one morning about 10 years ago when I got up and fell right back. I was taken, in a wheelchair, to a vestibular (inner-ear-regulated balance) expert, who maneuvered my head for 30 seconds and sent the rocks back where they belong. Fortunately, the problem hasn’t returned.

Hearing loss. I’ve worn hearing aids since age 80. People who refuse them despite increasing deafness miss a lot. Those who resist (typically, men) may not only lose contact with the world but also ruin their marital relationship. First step: See an ear specialist to make sure the cause isn’t a medical problem.

Skin cancer. Four doctors called my two-inch sore a spider bite. My son-in-law suggested a wound clinic, where a biopsy was done. Diagnosis: Squamous cell carcinoma, one step short of melanoma.

A terrific specialist removed it. Tip of the century: Find the right doctor. Persevere until you do. Get second and third opinions…ask everyone you know for recommendations to specialists… do real research.

Alzheimer’s disease. I haven’t had this one. But both of my husbands did, one older than I and one younger, for a total of 20 years. Was it rough? Oh, yes.

My bridge games, doing crosswords in pen — who knows if they help my brain stay healthy? I keep active and hope for the best.

MY KIND OF FUN

When I turned 90, I decided to try skydiving. My family tried to stop me. Ha!

Strapped to an instructor, I did a 3,000-foot free fall at 120 miles per hour.

The landing was nice. We glided in. I sat down on a sand pile.

For my 95th, next January, I’m doing it again.

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Bottom Line/Retirement interviewed audiologist Marion P. Downs, DHS, DSc (Hon.), a pioneer in universal hearing screening for newborns and the namesake of two hearing centers at the University of Colorado, where she taught for more than 40 years. She is author of Shut Up and Live! (You Know How): A 93-Year-Old’s Guide to Living to a Ripe Old Age (Avery/Penguin).

And, you know, I really got hooked! I laughed a lot. There were some pretty stupid performances (if you can call them that!), and some pretty horrific ones. I cried - some were so inspiring and sweet. I was awed! That little kids can have such amazing talent. That a young mother could have such a powerful voice after surviving cancer. That a 75 year old grandmother could get up in front of the crowd with a stand up comedy routine that had the crowd in stitches!

“Grandma Lee” summed it all up when she told the judges “You’ve gotta live your dream!”

And, I am so totally in awe of the courage of those everyday folk that put it all out there for everyone to see as they took action to live their dream. I’m not sure I could be that brave.