The dog days of summer are coming to an end. August is usually a slow time for me. This year, like others, I took advantage of the fact that Washington DC empties out this time a year and got away. After visiting with family in Detroit I drove west to Saugatuck/Douglas, Michigan. I've never been to that part of the country before. It was amazing.

The beaches of Lake Michigan are undeveloped and natural with soft white sand, wild beach grass and amazing sunsets.

Spending time in nature, in a quiet place like this allows me to reflect. I don't typically realize, until I am there for a few days, just how much tension I hold inside as I move throughout a typical day. Meditating on the beach each morning, allowed me to hear the small voice inside me - the voice, which has guided me through the years but also the one I often drown out in the busyness of life.

As I return to my world and as life resumes its normal pace, I am reminded to take time to slow down and make time for me to connect to the deepest, wisest part of me. It is in doing so, that I am called forth to be the best person I can be. I find the places where I can serve the world around me. It is from there that leadership arises.