| Aunt Bettie agreed to look after my house while I | | | | doing what needed doing if I knew what it was and |
| went on vacation. | | | | how to get started. Gardening is Aunt Bettie’s |
| She isn’t my Aunt Bettie, she’s | | | | world, as coaching is mine, and she simply knows her |
| Etta’s Aunt Betty. Etta is my neighbor across | | | | stuff and knows what to do. And the most |
| the street, who’s a doctor, and Aunt Bettie, | | | | important thing she did was come over there with |
| who is in her late 70’s, comes over and takes | | | | the right tools and do it with me. |
| care of Etta’s garden. | | | | She didn’t waste a lot of time talking about it, |
| When I returned from my vacation, Aunt Bettie had | | | | she didn’t try and explain anything to me, she |
| taken my hanging basket across the street to care | | | | showed me what to do by doing it herself, joyously, |
| for it, and things otherwise looked fine. As I chatted | | | | and she only took the first step with me. She |
| with her, to thank her for looking after the house, | | | | didn’t take the whole monkey on her back. I |
| she was pulling plants out of Etta’s garden, | | | | have momentum now, with my garden. I see what |
| live healthy plants. Giving the others room to | | | | to do and how to do it, and it’s ready for the |
| breathe, she told me when I inquired — | | | | next step. I so much appreciated Aunt Bettie |
| after all it isn’t that easy to grow anything in | | | | didn’t just tell me that my garden was a |
| South Texas in August — so there can be | | | | mess, or that I should go weed it, or that I |
| new growth and life. | | | | didn’t have the right tools, or that I ought to |
| Hmm, I thought. | | | | be ashamed my garden looked like that! |
| I’m dying to get my hands on YOUR | | | | The best part is how much lighter I feel. Like any |
| garden, she said. No fool, I jumped on that one! I | | | | toleration, walking past that garden every day |
| had vague misgivings about my garden, knowing | | | | was something dragging at me that I was only |
| something should be done, but that was as far as it | | | | vaguely aware of. Now that it’s something I |
| went. I have other priorities. | | | | can be proud, something that I (with Aunt |
| Within 5 minutes Aunt Bettie was over at my house | | | | Bettie’s help) did something about, I can feel |
| with her gloves, lopper and shears, pruning and pulling | | | | the self-esteem and own it, which is, in EQ terms, |
| and teaching me. | | | | Personal Power. |
| An hour later we had removed a lot of this and that, | | | | Yesterday I went and bought a small fountain. It was |
| including pruning all the roses down to the core, and | | | | only $79 at HomeDepot, and has a pump to recycle |
| as we stood back and surveyed the area she said, | | | | the tiny bit of water it uses — maybe one |
| There. Now it looks like it’s ready for | | | | quart. I sent a photo of it to my sister, who wrote |
| something to happen. And all these things will come | | | | back she was sorry she couldn’t have a |
| back fuller and stronger. You need to prune. | | | | fountain in her (beautiful) garden in her home in San |
| In my life, I asked, as she is a wise woman | | | | Diego. We don’t have enough water, |
| and doesn’t miss a trick. She gave me a wink | | | | she said. |
| and went on with her digging. | | | | It’s recycled water, I began
and |
| Of course I applied this to my life, and to my | | | | so Aunt Bettie’s gift goes on, and we extend |
| profession — coaching. It fits right in with | | | | the learning. My sister now has a fountain, something |
| tolerations, removing obstacles, and the attraction | | | | she never thought she could have. |
| principle. Also with taking action — taking the | | | | Coaching is very much like that. We simply work |
| first step. | | | | together to get results! |
| Most important to me was to realize that I would be | | | | |