I loved witnessing the amazing phenomenon of the solar eclipse today. I got to see it go to 90% from where I live. My husband and our youngest son flew to Smiley Creek, Idaho, to witness it at 100%.  They said it was so spectacular that I should have been there!

I was in a coaching session with a client when the eclipse began. As we walked outside, we talked about what was happening. I gave her a pair of glasses and explained that the reason we need to wear glasses during this spectacular event is because the rays from the sun are so strong they can actually damage the naked eye. On a normal day if we look at the sun we typically can’t hold our gaze on it for long because it hurts our eyes–it’s too bright, causes a headache, etc…–and so we look away.

But during an eclipse, the brightness of the sun is dimmed because the moon is in front of it. And so it can be easier to look at the sun and not realize that its rays could still be doing harm. It doesn’t hurt to look; the consequences show up later.

We talked for a few minutes as we gazed at the sun with the protective glasses. It was an amazing site! The parallels between this experience and life began to unfold. We shared what we were learning right then:

Life’s experiences create beliefs and responses in us. It’s part of the human plan. Every experience can be like the sun. When we look at our responses as just that–responses–without accepting responsibility and without having a desire to change where they need to be changed, it’s like looking full-on at the sun during an eclipse, without protective eye wear; after all, it doesn’t hurt, it’s no big deal, right?

On the other hand, if we are willing to “put on the protective wear” to look at our responses to life and then do something to change a behavior, the long-lasting consequences of avoiding protective wear can be mitigated.

So what does the protective wear look like? It looks like the invitations in each blog post on this website like this, or this, or this.

I invite you to put on your protective eye wear as you look at your responses to life’s challenges and begin the journey

It matters!