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I was standing in the backyard enjoying the warmth of the morning sun when I noticed a small pile of debris scattered along the edge of my patio. Strips of shredded paper and dried grass littered the concrete. 

“Where is this mess coming from?” I asked Jonathan. He pointed up. To my surprised delight, a small bird was building a nest along the edge of our patio awning. 

For the next few weeks, we watched this bird work diligently to build her nest. She was resilient. It was a windy month, and every time she seemed to be making progress, a strong gust would send her almost-nest toppling over the edge.

Nevertheless, she persisted, and soon her jumbled mess transformed into a beautiful and sturdy nest. Leaving behind her frenetic nest-building activity, she was now sitting quietly (presumably warming her eggs 🤞) for hours each day.

The baby birds arrived on June 5th! We noticed their tiny hairless heads eagerly awaiting worm delivery. Trying not to disturb, Jonathan lifted his phone above the nest to snap this quick picture of the newborn birdies.

The next few days were a flurry of activity as mom-bird and dad-bird foraged and fed their voracious little babies. (Did you know that robins co-parent?! Adorbs.)

We watched as the babies grew feathers, started to stand and perch on the edge of the nest, and eventually worked up the courage to fly away.

(This is the last photo we snapped of the baby birds before we became literal empty-nesters. 😭)

In less than 2 months, the robin built her nest, laid her eggs, hatched her eggs, raised her offspring (with help from dad-bird), launched those babies into the summer sky, and moved on to her next adventure. 

Less than 2 months! 😲

Personally, I’ve been sitting with some big questions about my future. You might say I’m experiencing a small existential quandary. I doubt the robin chose my porch because she knew I needed divine guidance (or maybe she did, who am I to say?); regardless, I feel deep gratitude to her for showing up and sharing her lessons when I needed them most. 

Here’s the lesson I gleaned from the robin: Life is a continuous cycle of building, nesting, and releasing. 

I’ve been thinking about how this cycle applies to my life as a business owner. 

Phase 1: Building

During the nest building phase, the robin was frenetic. She was constantly moving, gathering materials, constructing her nest, overcoming set-backs, and persisting towards her vision. She knew what she was meant to do. Riding a wave of generative energy, the robin was in full-on creation mode. 

Whether you’re building a business from scratch or creating an offering within your current business, you know you’re in a season of building when your vision is clear and your energy is frenetic. Every step you take is purposeful and you can see progress being made. This is a very “productive” time and is often validated by society more than nesting and releasing. 

Phase 2: Nesting

Once the nest was constructed, the robin sat her ass down and warmed those eggs. She was resting her body and nurturing her creation. No movement necessary. Stillness was the medicine; patience was the practice. 

After you build the thing, you must stop building the thing! It can be hard to know when to step out of building and into nesting as a business owner—especially when you’re inundated with capitalism-infused messages to grow faster and be more productive. The truth is that your business eggs will not hatch if you don’t rest, nest, and nurture your creation.

Phase 3: Releasing

The nest has been totally empty since the babies flew away. It’s clear that the robins aren’t returning. My interpretation? The robin knows her nest served its purpose and trusts that it’s time to move on. She didn’t say, “But I spent so much time making this nest, I can’t possibly be done with it after only 2 months. How can I get more use out of this nest?!”

The robin did not hesitate. She trusted the natural order of things and moved on with her life. 

Releasing an offering, a project, a relationship, or an entire business is so challenging. 

It’s the theme of my current existential quandary! 

I know it’s time to release some big things, but fear has me tightening my grip. The sweet robin reminded me that it’s okay to release what is no longer serving me. I’m learning how to loosen my grip, to step forward without looking back, trusting that everything I do/make/create is leading me towards my greater purpose. 

I’ve been sharing these lessons with my coaching clients. It’s been illuminating to identify which phase each person is in individually. When I zoom out, I’m awestruck by the beautiful and eclectic tapestry we weave as a community. 

I’d love to know, which phase of the cycle are you in right now?

Are you in a stage of frenetic creation? Are you slowing down to nest and nurture the business you’ve worked so hard to create? Are you struggling to release something old to make space for what’s next? 

If you feel like sharing, hit reply and tell me what you’re thinking. I’d love to hear from you. 

In the meantime, I’m gonna work on releasing my grip and leaning into what comes next on my journey. You’ll be the first to know once I figure it out 😉