the cycle of transition…

Present: May 12, 2010

I define transition as the place between two somewheres or seasons of life that bring rapid or slow agonizing change to ones life either wilingly or unwillingly. Transitions are inevitable and it is in our approach to those transitions  that will determine whether we get bitter or better. Will we choose to learn from those seasons we do not wish to remember but were necessary for our growth? The interesting things about the seasons shifting is that you sense transition before it actually arrives which is what I believe is God’s way of giving you some foresight before your world gets turned upside down or inside out. The preparation process for change can happen abruptly or it can be painful like a slow ache but nonetheless, it will come. It is best to embrace the winter after a beautiful crisp fall wind by focusing on the positives that a new season can bring. Open your heart and your mind as you prayerfully march forward into your new season of unknown territory with a spirit of adventure so you do not miss the beauty of transition.

Past: Travel Journal Entry #11-January 2005, Grenada West Indies

“As I sit in the Grenada Airport pondering the uncertainities of a new season of applying all I have learned  in this cruise training, I find myself excited about this new adventure! I am beginning to get accustomed to the uncertain uncertainities like delays, living out of a back pack, and wondering if I will ever see my belongings again. As I sit watching the world news, I am reminded of how change is inevitable and suddently or gradually transitions will take place. Perhaps, transitions are God’s way of awakening people to another opportunity to change and grow.”And perhaps the next season is better than the one I am leaving behind. I will never know unless I embrace it.”  

“The second I landed, I recieved my itinary for my new season of adventure aboard the S/V Legacy in the Virgin & British Islands. My schedule consisted of biking on Water Island on Mondays,  nature hikes of the sugar plantations with a botinist named Thunder Hawk on Tuesdays, catamaran rides to Peter Island in Tortola on Wednesdays, snorkeling tours to the Bathes in Virgin Gorda on Thursdays, and a sail back to St Thomas on Fridays! I begin each morning with a sunrise stretch after my morning cup of joe! I had no idea that the time of transition, uncertainty,and change could be so fun! This new season in the Virign Islands was better than than the sum total of the past experiences.”

Be “you” completely present……..

Present:

The fullness of life is found when the body, soul, and spirit come into agreement about truth and wholeness. Being present means that all of you is truely engaged in the moment of what your hand finds to do. Don’t be somewhere else but rather delve deeply into each moment as if it was meaninful and purposeful. Be quick to adapt and change to every situation and be all there when things shift.

Past: St. Thomas, Water Island, St. John, Tortola, Virign Gorda, Yost Van Dyke- January 2005

“Where does the adventure end? Each day is full of crazy explorations. Monday, I mountain bike and learn about the history of the islands. Tuesday’s I go kayaking, nature walking with a guy called Thunderhawk, and dancing a Duffies. On Wednesdays, I go jogging in Tortola and take afternoon snorkels to Peter Island. On Thursdays, I tour Virgin Gorda’s natural bathes and prepare for my live crab races on board with an island BBQ. My official training is now over on my new assignment to the Virgin Islands and it is time to step out on my own. It is really exciting that everyday i have the opportunity to influence someone with a positive word, a hug, and a smile. I am to treat others with love and respect. So, I know that I am giving all of me this week and offering my very best to my passengers. I learned this week tha tyou have to be you, no matter where you are. Be present! If we try to be someone else or feel like we have to fill someone’s elses role, we will fail. We must take what we’ve already learned and truely apply the knowledge in our own way. I am unique and some people are waiting for you to be yourself. It is hard work to be fully present every day and for every conversation but it is required of us as influencers of people. While character is what you do when no one else is looking, it starts with being fully present and aware of who we really are.”

A never ending transformational journey….

Present & Future:

 In no way have I reached my fullest potential but one thing is for certain, I will. Why? We choose to get up everyday and put yesterday behind us knowing that the best is yet to come! We must choose  every day to be the best we can be no matter the circumstances, to learn with an open mind, open  heart, and a willingness to humbly change every day. This life is journey and we can continue to be transformed by renewing our minds, hearts, and humbly willing to serve others selflessly. Those things will change us! Be true to yourself but don’t ever stop changing because when we do, we take the risk of regressing. I remember when I begin thinking deeply about embracing change………

Past: Travel Journal Entry #10: December 4, 2004 on the island of Mayreau

Cracked and Broken

” I was in Mayreau playing volleyball and swimming in the ocean when one of my passengers aboard the charter cruise I was leading as activities mate, approached me with a very serious demeanor. He said, “Kristina, there is something I need to tell you. Last night, I had a vision and I felt like God said it was for you.” I froze and tried to figure out if this guy was crazy or if this was for real. He continued by saying, “I was tossing and turning all night long when I saw a clay vase filled with water. It was molded and and amost ready to be used but there were some cracks at the neck of the vase and the water was seaping out because the vase had been marred.”

He continued to admitt that he did not know me but told me that God knew right where I was on one of the smallest islands in the middle of the Caribbean. He knew my name and that in 6 weeks time, that God would reveal himself yet again to me and I would be ready. He said the cracks would be revealed and I would be healed in those broken places. He also said, ” God brought you out here to get you alone with him and that it was a honor and a priviledge to be wooed by God.”

This moment was a momumental occassion in my life and forever changed my destiny. I choose to get right with God and yielded to the transformational journey of life.  It brought me to a place of complete brokeness and vulnerability. When God sends a strange man to tell you where you are in your life, what choice do you have but to surrender fully? Who can argue with truth in love?

                                                 Present:

A Work in Progress...

Five years later, I understand that the transforamtional journey is a lifelong committment to grow into who we are created to be!  We must choose to continue growing, changing, and be molded into the vessels we were created to be.

True joy comes through sacrifical death and a culmination of an overcoming moving picture.
“Destiny is something you are, not something you do.” -Coaching Paradigm

A radical ride and lessons to be learned…..

Present & Future:

If we ever think we’ll out run struggle, think again. Today, I jotted down some of things I love about life. To my amazement, I wrote struggle as one of the joys in life. I have realized that true joy and experiencing life in all of its fullness requires struggle in order to appreciate “real” joy. I have learned through many hardships to celebrate  in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.  I have known excitement, adventure, struggle, and heart ache. I am certainly a better woman because of it. We choose how we will respond to challenging times. Journey with me through some of my ups and downs along my adventures and some lessons I learned along the way……………..

Past: Travel Journal Entry # 9:  Bequia, Mayreau, and Carricou Islands on December 24,  2004

She was a beauty.....

“This week started out with one complication after another but through the difficulties, God gave me strength and patience to press through. I was a wedding coordinator this week, a kayak guide, and a purser. You learn to adapt quickly on this job.  It is Christmas Eve and I just sailed to Bequia, my favorite island in the West Indies. I found out that I am being transferred to the US Virgin Islands  on January 1st, 2005. . Just as I begin learning my job and adapting, it is time to change again. Will the change ever stop? I have chosen to find joy in my struggle and right now, I’m finding joy in a cup of coconut icecream. Sometimes, you just can’t take yourself too seriously. Everything can change in an instant. I have been sailing for 9 hours now and I have to “fear not” even though my world is constantly changing and uncertain. I must learn to trust God, obey, and fear not!

Travel Journal Entry #10: Grenada, December 28, 2009

Peace and Joy.....

” I must make a note that true joy can only be found in God. Truely, what is life without joy and a good attitude? Do I have nothing be thankful for? My worst day could be someone’s best so I must keep life in perspective. My trainer is really hard on me and the more I am nice to her the harder she is on me. It makes me question the real DNA of a leader. A position may “deem” someone in authority but it is the leaders who love, care, and thank God for the gift of empowering others that are truely respected. N Omatter what position you are in, never ask anything of anyone that you are not willing to do or walk through yourself. Treat others  with the respect that I would like shown to me. A true leader is humble in spirit, strong in adversity, courageous in the midst of fear and genuinely cares for others. That is real leadership. I have learned that tact is crucial even in the midst of difficulty. We should take the time to reach out to others with encouraging words even when you really could use one yourself. I have learned on this ship that respect is truely earned when you put the team before yourself.  Leading by conviction, rather than preference. We are no better than one another and it is by God’s grace we are who we are. As quickly as God can give, he can also take away. True character is built when no one else is watching. Humble yourself and you will be exalted.  I have learned that what is my heart will truely come out of my mouth as my soul reveals it. These are some life lessons that will carry me through this adventure called life.”

“

Get out and see the world….

Present & Future Thoughts:

 

I searched the earth over and found exactly what I was looking for....

I was reflecting the other day on what forms a person’s perspective and it really depends on the depth and width of a person’s reality of the world. I was never really good at science though I found it fascinating! Though I could rarely remember all the facts, I really enjoyed history and geography as well. It was not until I began to take a reflective and introspective investigation of my own journey that I realized why my worldview is aworld map! If the best is yet to come, then my road to adventure will be unbelievable. When is the last time you just took a couple minutes to reflect and refract forward. Allow me to share some of my reflections from the West Indies with you in hope that  it will inspire you to embark upon your own adventure of a lifetime. Perhaps, “the future enters into us in order to transform itself in us long before it happens.” – Rilke, poet & writer

Journal Entry #8: St. Vincent, December 13, 2004.

Past Thoughts:

Turtle From Turtle Sanctuary in Bequia

“Last week, I sailed from St. Vincent to Bequia, Union Island, Mayreau, and Tobago Cay! What an amazing experience! I have been working so hard but I have found some “playtime” to keep me going. Last tuesday night, I went on a tour with some of my passengers to Bequia’s turtle sanctuary and went whale watching. I learned all about the old traditions of catching whales. I learned of Bequia’s traditional boat building history and explored the island by foot as I followed the goat pathes to the pristine beaches on the secluded side of the island. I think my favorite part of Bequia is the homemade coconut icecream made by locals and the fresh gingerbread at the Gingerbread House Hotel http://www.gingerbreadhotel.com/. I snorkeled after my icecream, conducted some live crab races aboard the deck of the S/V Yankee Clipper, and celebrated my birthday with complete strangers on the beach with a tiki torch sunset roast.  The people lavished me with local gifts and I did not know any of them. At sunrise, I went for a run in Mayreau  to stretch my sealegs and led some passengers in excercise classes. Setting sail aboard the windjammer ships was glorious as the early morning breeze wrestled the sails and amazing grace was played on bagpipes. This sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Wait, it gets better….

The island of Mayreau

The next evening I took some passengers for fresh Lobster at Tante Pearls, a local pearl of a restaurant and ate for free. Work is hard but life is good. Besides, all my business skills go a long way out here. My motivation to stay focused to get things done is the “activity” part of my job. It seems like every weakness is being highlighted and challenged in the middle of the Caribbean. Did it really take sailing around the world to deal with my issues? On the positive side of the pain, I am also exercising my greatest strengths which keep me going day to day. My love and exploration for help and guidance in my weakness is drawing me closer to God. I cannot question my journey but rather give thanks that I see God as the living creator of the universe who is interested in communing with me personally, rather than a dead religion. I never knew God was so intimate and my very present help in time of need but I do now!

Take the adventure of a lifetime and expand your life! Challenge yourself, you never know but the future already put inside of you might just be discovered. Nothing is impossible! http://www.grenadines.net/mayreau/mayreauhomepage.htm

growing up…a different breed of leader

 

Exercise the Whole Person

 

 

 

Sometimes experience is the best teacher. Being true to yourself and taking responsibility for managing self is a positive sign of maturity. I was taught about hard work and delaying gratification but is there such a thing as too much work? Is it possible to lead in one aspect of life and fail at another? Where is the leader who exhibits self control and discipline in all areas of the whole person like the mind, body, and spirit? Shouldn’t everything prosper, flourish, and co-lead the whole person? I began to question these things while I was out to sea and decided that I would start choosing to lead myself everyday exercising my body, mind, and spirit as a catalyst for a new breed of leadership that is a “whole” example for the next generation. I remember working 7 days a week and caring enough about myself to take full responsibility for all facets of my life. That did not happen until I realized how much God loved me and I wrote…

Journal #7:  Grenada, West Indies December 13, 2004

” I am beginning to appreciate a 5 day business work week. I am working 7 days a week close to 18 hours a day. My time is not my own anymore. It is time to dig deeper, get prioritized, dedicated, and disciplined. I must take care of myself as respect for myself in order to serve others around me. If I don’t care for me, then how can I expect others to care for me more than I do myself? I am beginning to learn that every job has a mundane piece to it somewhere. Is there anyway to escape it? I must learn to be faithful with what has been put in my hand to do. I must do it with all my heart and be all there.”

Healthy Whole Leader Model

The new breed of leader values themselves and serves others as healthy whole people who are living on purpose. Be the example you wish you had.

a return from haiti & a quick flashback…

Journal Entry #6, Back to the Caribbean

The journey of growth and development is a choice and a daily decision to stay true to the committment to keep getting better. Change is inevitable and it can create the right type of pressure that causes accelerated growth if we choose to allow it to chisel us. Choose to be an every day catalytic leader to influence the world around you wherever you are. It is important to reflect every once in a while and to actually see how far we’ve come.  Five years ago, I was a scared young girl venturing into the wild on an exploration of self-discovery to the West Indies to have a good time.

 One week ago, I ventured out on an adventure as a confident and focused woman on purpose to make a difference and serve a nation. As I chose to continue learning, changing, and getting better, I have steadily grown into my true identity in God. This is a journey and interactive relationship with God, not a destination or occasional religious duty. Allow me to share my first “growing pain” while I was in the West Indies…

December 4, 2004, St. Vincent

“I was picked up by a drunk taxi cab driver. He began taking me all over town to places I did not ask to go and took me back to his apartment. It was really scary! If I doubted prayer before that point, I certainly believed in it when my back was against the wall. He took me to the gallows in St. Vincent and I began crying out hysterically. I honestly thought this man had two agendas for me that night and I did not like either of them. I have not had many near death experiences but this one was close. I went a bit crazy and began crying desperately begging him to take me to a near by hotel and leave me there. All the hotels were closed and privately run but I knew that God was my only answer so I called on him! An old guard came the door after minutes of beating on the door for someone to let me in as my knuckles began to swell from beating so desperately. The gentlemen could tell I was under stress and a tourist so he agreed to take me in for the night.

Not what I wanted to hear...

I attempted to sleep but called my parents confessing I had a made a terrible mistake traveling to the Caribbean to chase a pipe dream when my father said these words to me, “God has a plan for you and you can not come home now. He has you on a journey and he has somethings he needs to teach you out there.” Well, needless to say that was not the response I wanted nor needed after my first evening in St. Vincent. I finally made it to my destination in St. Vincent and boarded the ship that I was working on to find out I was one of two females on a prodominantly male ship. I did not get off the ship for days after my experience as I hid in fear.

Five years later: June 24, 2009, Haiti

Hope Alive...But God

“God will turn the nation of Haiti around. There is nothing to fear because I have been given a sound mind and do not rest in my own ability to carry out the purposes of him who sent me. It is time to come togehter in unity as one voice and call out for strength, wisdom, and courage for the joureny ahead as we enter the nation. It is time to set the captives free from mental slavery and rise up to our true identity for those who believe. It is not who I am but who God is in me as one of his kids”.

it’s a lifestyle

Interestingly enough, if you’re true to yourself and who you were created to be than your true life’s work will find you. As I get ready to embark upon a trip to Haiti, I find myself praying a similar prayer as I did in 2004 as I embarked upon unknown territory to St. Vincent. The journey builds character and the true essence of a man or woman surfaces even if it is contradictory to their behavior as mine was in Caribbean. What is meant to be, will be as we submit and seek truth and purpose. Naturally gifted leaders can choose not to lead and those will potential use can grow.

Journal Entry #5: November 26, 2004, Woodbrooke, Trinidad

“Search me, O God from the inside out! Cleanse me of my impurity and search my heart. You know me better than I know myself. Make me the woman you intended me to be. I surrender. Say the Word, provide a way, and I will go! You are stripping me of all of me in order to know my true identity. At the core of my soul, heart, and mind truly does thirst for more. I desire to make a difference in the world. Give me favor, O God. In everything I do, may it be pleasing to you. Continue to search me and check me from the inside out. I trust you with my life and I realize that without you, I’m nothing. I desire to know you intimately and place my hopes, dreams, and desires in your hands.”

If you’re serious about your destiny, a prayer like this will open roads you never dreamt possible. Though the journey is long and hard at times, destiny drives you forward to co-create the future.

come as you are, discover your destiny…

You can run but you can not hide from yourself.  You can run from place to place and the issues never go away. Why? Perhaps, the problem isn’t really others but it is self that needs to be transformed. There comes a time when a leader has to take a long hard look at  herself and ask the hard questions.  Who am I, really? I was in the middle of walking out a dream when the internal conflict of my soul began. Thanksgiving was rapidly approaching and I got ill so my Father informed me he was flying to Trinidad so I did not have to be alone on Thanksgiving. On my way to the airport, I had an encounter with a stranger that seemed  almost pre-planned along my journey. What happened next really got my attention.  I wrote…

Travel Journal #5  Trinidad, November 25, 2004

“On my way to pick up my Father from the airport, my taxi driver asked me if I believed in God. I hesitated and then I  timidly said, yes. Immediately, I had chills run up and down my spine and knew that God was still with me on my adventure and perhaps, he had even come before me to prepare the way.  The cab driver proceeded to tell me that he was a minister and he shared a first name with my Father. The last couple days had been the loneliest days of my life up to that point and on my way to pick up my dad, I just so happen to ride with a taxi driver-minister who told me that I was called by God to do something great. That is not an every day conversation and it stopped me right in my tracks! Could it be that an all mighty God and creator could actually care about the small details of my life? Could it be that I actually did have a destiny that was pre-thought out by Him?

The taxi driver proceeded to tell me not to run from God and decided to tell me a story about a man who ran from God right into the belly of a whale. I know it seems far fetched but the reality is that I was training to go aboard a ship in the Caribbean Sea and my story sounded a lot like this guy, Jonah, he described. He asked me if Trinidad was far enough or did I need to run further before I realized who I really was? Please remember this was a “random” taxi driver who was “sent” to pick me up at the guest house. The next day, my father and I went to a church where the preacher was talking about eagles and how they soar high but sometimes, they have to come down to find water in the valleys in order to soar higher. He described someone in the congregation as a “fresh breathe of air” that was going through a time of testing and maturing stage where a decision had to be made. I felt like there was no where for me to hide and I had been set up by God. There was no where to run that He would not chase me.  I was relentlessly being pursued on purpose by the God of the Universe. At that point, I was no longer an independent leader but a child in need of her dad. I had to learn how to be obedient and hear His voice in what  like a beautiful wilderness.”