August 31. Eve of a new month. I have this marvelous planner created by Points of You™, which is an Israeli-based company whose wonderful coaching tools — in this case a set of cards with images and words — are designed to make you think, challenge your perspective, and help you move forward with purpose. As each month stands at the cusp of a new one, there’s a thoughtful activity. Pick three cards, it says. The first to help you consider what worked well this month; the second to offer perspectives on what did not work so well; and a third to help you more clearly envision what you wish for the next month.

So I randomly drew three cards and flipped them over, one by one. I am most grateful for how they expanded my understanding.

First: What worked well for me: Point of View. Oh, boy. When I allowed myself to dampen my driving purpose, consider alternate points of view, and detach from outcomes, my path filled with curiosity and felt, well, easy — maybe even enlightened.

Second: What didn’t work well for me: Creativity. Huh. Getting so bogged down in details and trying to control outcomes certainly stifled me in August. That meant there were times when I suffered through a scarcity of solutions and options.

Third: What do I wish for the next month: Together. Wow, what a perspective buster! Why did my creativity and purpose lag in August? The insight I gleaned from this single card is that I get too focused and my vision can narrow to become more exclusive.  Not much wonder I felt stalled:  I KNOW I need the idea generation that arises from connections with others. It fuels me. Getting lost in the details and trying to control outcomes narrowed my focus enough to put me in a bubble, almost.

It’s amazing how a simple picture, word, or concept can flip you 180 degrees. Here’s hoping September reaps a bumper crop of togetherness.