Last night I was on a run with my pooch, Dozer. We were winding our way up the hills of Oakland and I decided to take a turn up a street that I hadn’t been on before. I was pushing myself physically so I could push my way mentally through all my Inner Mean Girl‘s lies. The lies that tell me I’m not enough. The ones that say I am failing. The ones that complain of overwhelm and lack. (Yes, my dear ones, I coach what I am hungry for!) As we turned around to make our way back down the hill, I glanced at a house, only to see this gate:
Compassion & Gratitude. Wow. There it was like a beacon, reminding me of all things good in the world. Reminding me to be compassionate—not only with others, but with myself. Giving me a wake-up call of how much I have to be grateful for.
I was floored.
I decided to immediately take out my phone and snap a picture to remember the moment by.
So there I am standing in this random driveway with my dog, sweating and red faced taking pictures of this gate when a car winds its way around the corner. Sure enough it is the owner of the house coming home from work. I feel embarrassed for a moment, thinking she must think I’m casing the joint or something. I give a smile and a wave and begin to make my way down the hill. The owner pulls into her garage.
And something stopped me (my Inner Wisdom?), telling me to turn around and express my appreciation for the gate. I slowly approach and say as her car door opens, “Excuse me? Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your gate. It is beautiful.”
“You’re welcome,” the owner of the house replied, as she made her way out of her garage and met me in her driveway. “I got it on eBay after my divorce a while ago. My ex and I used to have a big sign that said ‘No Solicitors’ and I realized that sign belonged to him. And I needed a new way to greet the world. Compassion and Gratitude. That’s me.”
I got goose bumps as she spoke. We talked for a while. I told her I was a coach; she replied that she does leadership training. We laughed at the serendipity. And of course exchanged emails.
True Story.
So I ask you, my dear friends, clients and fellow adventurers:
What is on your gate?
How are you greeting the world?
Please let me know by posting a comment! I always LOVE hearing from you…
With enthusiasm, love and fun,
Amy
Amy Ahlers, The Wake-Up Call Coach
CEO of Wake-Up Call Coaching
Creator of The Women Masters
P.S. One final gentle reminder about the irresistible, inspiring, out of sight offer that ends TODAY at 1pm PST. This is your LAST CHANCE to get my awesome eCourse at this special price with the Women Masters Best of 2009 CD set as a bonus gift. And it is guaranteed, so there is NO RISK. Grab it while you still can: https://tinyurl.com/ykdq53m
I love this blog post! Great Story! My gate says; having “my” perfect life…
Love, Goldi
Love it! I strive to make my gate says compassion and gratitude as well.
Dear Amy,
Thank You for eZine & your blogs once again, much appreciated Dear. Actually, the good news for me is I am greeting the world by attending Sister Giant conference in Feb. With Marianne Williamson & Sam Daley Harris. My compassion & gratitude in a BIG WAY! Signed up last evening, so happy & excited! LAX Hilton Feb.26-28, my heart strings have most definitely been pulled. xo She needs us all, esp. us mothers who understand what it means to have had food on OUR tables for OUR children now & always. Thanks again for that call you did with her! It was amazing, and I connect to her words so well. Kudo’s Amy 🙂
Compassion &Gratitude to you,
Natalie M Laatz ( time to seriously tweet) talk soon!
Aims: Love your gate story (the full version)…..you trully walk your talk in my book. You definitely take lemons and make lemonade….it’s really inspiring to me….your good ole’ dad.
Love you,
Dad
I had a moment of ‘gatelessness’ to start the new year that was wonderfully freeing. We went out for the Eve and forgot to close the garage door (also leaving the door to the house inside the garage unlocked. 3+ hours later we returned and I was a bit apprehensive, but liked the symbolism of leaving our lives open to whatever may come, especially at a moment of new beginnings.
Is the compassion/gratitude gate letting in only c/g or is it the gate leading to a place of c/g or something else? I suppose having boundaries is healthy, but maybe I’m hoping to work towards taking the gate off completely.
Dear Amy,
My friend Sharon forwarded this to me. As you know she is the fantastic person you met with the great sign on her gate!! I love this story and it reminds me how the world always works in mysterious ways and gives us just what we need when we need. If only we leave our gate open, or at least be ready to open it to whatever life brings to us. Thanks and if I know Sharon, she will bring you in to her circle of love and friendships and we will meet soon. I have known her for about twenty years and our friendship has endured distance, difficult relationships (for us both) and the usual life business.
May 2010 bring you Peace, Love, Gratitude and Compassion.
Brenda
Love this story…really makes me think of what I am welcoming or turning away by not welcoming.
Amy, what an awesome post!!! I love the line “I coach what I am hungry for!” Your insight and honesty is hilarious. THANK YOU.
My gate says “say YES to Joy!”
love
Julie Genovese
oh amy,
>
> thank you for sharing such a great story…yes, compassion and
> gratitude pave the way for our best self to be expressed. i encourage
> everyone to listen and really hear what is whispering in their
> self-talk. evaluate what they are doing at this time to receive want
> they REALly want out of this life….nurses, doctors and all energy
> healers yearn to be healed as their passion is the medicine,
> motivational and life coaches share words that are encoded blessings
> for themselves and everyone their words wrap around. to unravels who
> a person truly wants to be, simply look at what one is doing as a JOB.
> it holds a beautiful & benevolent clue for transformation.
>
> thank you for being a catalyst of truly great inspiration and strength.
> yes, compassion and gratitude coupled with grace paves the way.
>
> be inspired,
> sharyn jordan hathcock
> the home whisperer
>
I must admit I read your blog post because you were running with Dozer and I am a dog lover. We do not have gates here in my neighborhood on the East Coast…and few fences. Our dogs tend to be the gatekeepers and greeters. I believe their signs would all read “Living in the Moment.”
Thank you for sharing your moment with Dozer.
With love, compassion and empowerment,
Animal Lover Amelia
Thank you, Amy…
You and Dozer made my day!
What a lovely name for the dog of a Wake-up Coach!!!
Patricia xx
(Wales, UK)
What a sweet story…I LOVE how the Universe works!
Now that I’ve read your story, Amy, I know that if I had a gate it would read “OM SHANTI PEACE,” my favorite blessing of well-being to others.
Much love,
Rupali
Honolulu, HI
Hmm, just how do I greet the world?
Thank you, Amy. . . great article!
Wendy
Dear Amy, Love the story and your dog’s name Dozer. Doze into life and make it happen. The sign on my gate would read: “Be True to Yourself.” Keep up the great work. We women need to learn how to take care of ourselves and realize our dreams and goals are important and if it’s in God’s plan for it to happen, it will.
Love be with us all,
Melody
Florida
Wow! Thank you Amy for sharing your “ah-wakening” moment …this became an “ah-wakening” moment for me too…Have no gates but have a sign that will now on say what I always say “Divine Blessings” in and out of my driveway..
Got one of my own “Ah-wakening” moment this week too…from behind the Telus High Speed Internet guide when I started to be a little worry about my future:
“The Future is Friendly”
Couldn’t get a clearer answer…God works in mysterious ways….we just have to relax, listen and be attentive to the signs send our way!!!
Divine Blessings!
Anicka,
Invermere
British Columbia
A the gate of consciousness I was awaken by the Archaic Light shining through many Evolutionaries/Luminaries marching, talking, chanting, opening gates with their hearts/minds ~ igniting ~ impregnating ~ birthing the NEW WORLD ~ so grateful for all of you in my computer…
A gate with a message representing the message you’re sending the world has such great meaning for me. My gate’s message has been conflicting, partly brave, bold and rebounding into bountifulness and partly a weak, wimpy and wallowing victim to life’s up hill treks. I now recognize the incongruency and work to shift into congruency and be the person that best represents the success I want to achieve. Thank you for showing this example of ways the universe gives us answers to our most pressing questions.
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