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I’m back after a whirlwind week in London with my business friends. 

“What was your favorite moment during the trip?” Jonathan asked while I ate breakfast at 7pm. (Jet lag is a drag.) 

My mind flooded with memories of laughter, sightseeing, fancy high tea, and incredible West End musicals. But the moment that kept circling to the front of my mind as my favorite? 

Seeing a fox meander into the backyard garden of our Airbnb!

Linzy and I were sitting in the living room, rubbing our feet and marveling at our unprecedented step count (8,000+ steps before 3pm!), when I caught a flash of movement in my periphery. 

“Oh Linz, look, there’s a dog in our garden,” I said as we shifted closer to the window. “Wait… that’s not a dog… it’s a fox!” 

This fox was bigger than my beagles and completely unphased by our presence. He (there was a definite masculine vibe) spent the next hour lounging in the garden—napping, stretching, scratching, and staring deeply into my eyes from the other side of the window. It took every ounce of self-control not to offer him a belly rub. 

Linzy, ever the diligent researcher, went straight to Google. “Apparently,” she said between sips of tea, “there are thousands of urban foxes in London.” 

Huh. Who would’ve thought?! 

These gorgeous, sly, clever creatures have figured out how to survive in the hustle and bustle of Europe’s third-largest city. Impressive.

Seeing this fox with my own eyes felt like pure magic. 

But was this really my favorite memory from my trip to London? It seemed a little strange—like it was too inconsequential to be my favorite moment. 

I’ve been noodling on why it felt so special, and besides the fact that it was really freaking cool, I think the magic was in the surprise. 

I had zero idea I would see a fox while I was in London. It was completely unexpected. “Try to spot a fox” was not listed on our group planning Trello board. We didn’t schedule time to see a fox or set out that morning with the intention of learning more about foxes. 

We were resting! Lazing about on the couch, having a chat, completely at ease. And then, BAM. Magic! Look, there is a FOX in the GARDEN. Can you believe it?! 

That feeling? 

I call it “awe and wonder.” 

You can’t manufacture awe or action plan your way to wonder. 

The best way to experience awe and wonder is to open your arms, take a deep breath, and invite the magic to find you. Or, in the case of the fox, go back to your flat and enjoy the luxury of having no plans for the afternoon. 

Awe and wonder are magical antidotes for stress and burnout. 

It’s easy to get sucked into the matrix when you’re running your own business. There is a lot to do! Last Wednesday, my step count was 825. For the entire day. I got sucked into the universe inside my laptop and tricked into thinking I couldn’t leave my desk until x, y, and z were taken care of. 

I lost myself in the matrix… AGAIN!

Coming back to ourselves is a lifetime practice of forgetting and remembering. Forgetting and remembering. Forgetting and remembering. Over and over and over again. 

You know you’ve forgotten when stress and overwhelm become your predominant emotions—when your eyes are aching from staring at screens or when your heart is fatigued from holding space for everyone except yourself. 

It’s the slippery slide into burnout. Everything feels dark and dreary, and there is no awe or wonder in sight. What a travesty. 

The fox reminded me that I need awe and wonder. 

And that to find more awe and wonder, I must unhook myself from my to-do list, my five-year plan, and the heavy burden of expectations other people expect me to uphold. 

I don’t have to unhook from them all the time, but I have to do it often enough that I have time to be surprised by the unexpected. 

You have to make space for awe and wonder. 

Remember, your business is for you, not your clients. Your clients get to benefit from your work, but the business itself is for you. 

And if you need awe and wonder… magic… rest… creativity… travel… or time with your family… then your business needs to support you in making the choice to honor those needs. 

When was the last time your business paid you to meet your deepest needs? When was the last time you felt awe and wonder? 

If you can’t remember, it’s been too long. 

P.S. I wrote this email at my local coffee shop. When I went up to the counter for a refill, I saw this sticker sitting on the shelf. Too perfect not to purchase!