Some food for thought as summer winds down.

Historically, Taking Stock has seen the summer months as opportunities for repose and moments of rest and reflection, both in terms of our business lives and personal lives. The celebration of nature is a common activity for Molly and me, and we went to a regional park about a half hour south of Saint Paul recently.

While walking in nature, I have noticed pieces of the landscape that almost seem intentionally placed.

There can be a sense of finding something meant just for me. I have no doubt that people and perhaps animals who have shared this earth for millenia have felt this way, as though an unknown (or known as the case may be) entity left us something; a secret language spoken through a special location that we will undoubtedly walk though.

I like to think of it as a language and a sense that universally unites mankind, unconscious though we may be of our connection to one another and our environments.

The fragility of these moments is shown when we try to return to a place, maybe only minutes later, to find that this placement may be past. I believe that this is a lesson not to hold on to anything too much. Grasping for the future most assuredly undercuts our presence in the now. I hope that you are enjoying your personal moments in the present – there are always many to find around us whenever we need the reminder of connection. Keep a lookout for future Taking Stock updates! We have some exciting news on the horizon as we head into autumn.