What Whales and Clients Share In Common

“Pleeeeeeeaaasse let me see a whale! Pleaseohpleaseopleaseplease!” 

This was my internal monologue/prayer as I stared out at the sparkling Pacific ocean in Baja, Mexico.

I was living my best solopreneur-life, sea-kayaking on one of my friend Sommerville's amazing “Rugged Renewal” trips last December.

I kept scanning the water with borrowed binoculars, zooming in on any shape that stood out, only to repeatedly find it was just a boat or a cresting wave.

Sigh.

I knew I had to return the binoculars soon, with my whale-dreams quickly petering out.

I finally decided to surrender and just take in the beauty of the ocean: 

“If the whales don't want to show up, that's okay. This is still a stunning scene. Look at that deep blue expanse. Look at the sparkling sun on the waves. What a gift to be here.”

And wouldn't you know it: 

As soon as I let go and just enjoyed the scene in front of me, I spotted some splashing in the distance. 

Whales!!

They were far off, but I could see the glistening sun on humpback whale bodies, and the enormous splash as they breached and fell back into the sea. 

I squealed like a little girl. Pure awe and delight.  

–And I made a note to myself about not being “grabby”, but rather being present, with a healthy detachment from outcomes. Thanks, whales.

Whale, hello there.

Fast-forward to last week:

I treated myself to another sea kayaking trip –this time to Vancouver Island, Canada –to celebrate last month's wrap-up of my Mighty Mastermind cohort.

I'm a very early riser, so at 5:30am I was out on a big rock overlooking the water, taking in the sunrise as it burned the mist off the trees across the channel. 

It was perfect. The colors of the water and the distant mountains were constantly shifting as the world awoke. Little fish flickered as they jumped on the water's surface.

At one point, I heard a deep "Pfffffffffffffffftttttttt" noise in the distance, and saw the spray of a blowhole. 

 A whale!

Another spray, and another humpback whale behind it dove down, perfectly showing off its elegant fluke. 

Pure joy, my friend.

Then I heart the “Pfffffffffffffffffftttttttt” noise far off to my left. Two puffs of whale spray, both catching the rising sunlight.

Words cannot describe my elation. I watched the two pods of whales disappear and reappear until they were too far into the distance to see. 

 The whale sightings continued throughout the rest of the day; I was glad the others in the group got to see them too.

Still, some were determined to experience the early morning whale magic. 

Several said “I hate getting up early, but I'm coming whale watching with you.” One person said, “I never get up that early. This better be worth it."

Uh-oh. 

I was afraid I'd sound too “woo-woo” if I said that “Whales can sense grabby-energy. They're not going to show up on command.” And besides, what did I know? Maybe they'd be back.

The next morning arrived. At 5:30, we sat on the rock. The mist was especially thick, creating an ethereal scene as the light shifted. 

The water was glassy and still. The silence was a healing balm for “normal" life's frantic pace and nonstop noise. 

We watched two bald eagles soar in the sky, then plunge for their morning meal. 

Mostly, we watched the light change and the mountains start to peak through the mist it as it burned off with the sun. 

A perfect morning.

Before we knew it, it was time to leave the rock to eat breakfast.

“I got up early for nothing. Not one whale," someone said. 

I held my tongue. I figured she would resent a lecture about missing the point (especially before her morning coffee, and especially knowing that not everyone is an early-morning-freak like me). 

But it did make me think about the energy of whales and people. 

I believe both can sense when they're being “collected” rather than appreciated.

And yes, this applies to business. 

While it's great to have goals, it's easy to start getting “grabby.” 

The desire to reach Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or check things off the list can start to surpass the joy of being present and delighting in the person/whale. 

Delight is attractive. 

Feeling “sold to” can drive people away. Being delighted-in attracts. 

Being present and delighting in the process itself radiates a powerful energy, whether you're attracting clients (or looking for sea-life). 

And it makes sitting on that rock, real or metaphorical, more enjoyable.

My friend, are you pausing to delight in your business and clients? –Or even better, in life in general? 

Take a moment to be present, to celebrate what you're doing, and to enjoy the process (even the hard parts). Tell me what you notice.

To your success,

-Jane

p.s. My friend, speaking of delighting in people: 

May I ask what has been your favorite moment of the summer so far? 

I'd love to hear about it