The earth has circled the sun yet again, and the end of the year is upon us with an invitation to look back on who we have been in 2002 and who we wish to be in 2003. With this newsletter my invitation to you is to reflect on the people in your life who are part of sustaining your own orbit and to thank them for the part they play in making your life work.

Charles Plumb, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures widely on lessons learned from his experience. Here's one of the stories he shares:

One day when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said:

     "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

     "How in the world did you know that?" asked an astonished Plumb.

     "I packed your parachute" the man joyfully replied, pumping Plumb's hand up and down. "I guess it worked!"

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about the man who had unknowingly saved his life. "I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform, a white hat, a bib in the back and bell-bottom trousers! I wondered how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning. How are you?' Because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor. I wondered how many hours that amazing young sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute—holding in his hands each time, the fate of someone he didn't even know."

Though Plumb's life story may be more dramatic than yours or mine, we can still ask ourselves: Who is packing our parachute? Sometimes in the daily challenges that life lobs our way, it's easy to overlook the impact others have on sustaining our very existence. Have you stopped recently and had a conversation with your mail carrier? How about the guy who makes you that amazing cappuccino in the mornings, or the receptionist at work or your assistant? Or the amazing English teacher who inspires your child every single day?

It's challenging enough for some of us to acknowledge the impact that our loved ones have on us, much less to notice and take time out for people on the periphery. But do it anyway. Welcome in the New Year bursting with appreciation and gratitude. Make it your intention to notice the small stuff, the incidental detail, the power of a smile. Give a compliment, take the time to listen, congratulate someone on something wonderful, go out of your way to do something nice for absolutely no reason at all. Savor the sweetness of recognizing that all around us people are packing our parachutes—and if we're lucky, we're packing theirs too.

Who is packing my parachute? How will I let them know their value to me?

About My Coaching:
As a personal and executive coach, it is my goal to bring dynamic leadership, a compassionate heart and powerful insight to the lives of my coaching clients. I work to help clients identify and pursue what is deeply meaningful in their lives and their businesses, and collaborates with them to transform vague yearnings or explicit goals into realities.

After graduating from Princeton University, I spent almost 20 years as an independent feature film, video and CD ROM producer guiding projects to success. As President of Midwest Film Productions, I honed my skills building productive teams of people, working to intense deadlines, quickly and accurately assessing complex situations and brainstorming and implementing creative solutions. It was during these years that my passion for small businesses emerged.

In my coaching practice I call on my extensive production and business background with the express goal of helping my clients live their lives and create their businesses by design and not default.

I completed my coaches training through the prestigious Coaches Training Institute, completed advanced training and received my certification credential through them as well.

My latest favorite quote: "A goal is a dream with a deadline."

If you are interested in exploring how coaching may be of value to you personally or to your business, I am pleased to offer a ‡ hour complimentary session. Please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.

Contact me:
Dina Silver, CPCC
Pegasus Coaching Group
310-393-8082
dina@pegasuscoachinggroup.com
www.pegasuscoachinggroup.com