The start of the new year is a great time to investigate our own hidden landslides.
The Marcus Landslide was discovered when it caught the eye of two college students who were paying attention to the changes in their surroundings. Upon investigation, they learned that environmental factors including water, ice and rain primed an uphill slope for a dramatic shift about 500,000 years ago. The resulting landslide moved “enough material to fill six ASU Sun Devil Stadiums,” according to the Arizona Geological Survey, as reported on the University of Arizona Science webpage.
The change was dramatic, and with the help of interpretive signs, hikers can see where the debris came from and the pocket that was scooped out of the granite hillside above in the McDowell Mountains. However, without interpretive signs, the landslide can remain unnoticed, hidden in the rocky terrain.
The start of the new year is a great time to investigate our own hidden landslides. What forces may be priming shifts in our own surroundings? Are there elements seeping into our professional environment that are laying the groundwork for change? If so, how can we best prepare ourselves for the new landscape so that we may embrace the opportunities that expose themselves with it?
With each new year, I like to celebrate the changes that helped me achieve goals over the past year – the new people, opportunities, locations and miracles that fed my spirit, inspired my path and enhanced my business. I believe most of these changes happened because of intentions made at the beginning of the year that put plans in motion and set up a landslide into new territory.
This happens by paying attention and moving in the direction of our passions.
World-renowned archeologist Zahi Hawass changed the course of his life when he discovered a small statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, buried in the sand for thousands of years. In that moment, he fell in love and began to put plans in place to study, explore and follow his passion. His landslide had the power to move massive boulders and tons of sand to open the mysterious world of ancient Egypt for all of us. You can hear from this dramatic storyteller and extraordinary scientist on Zonie Living at StarWorldwideNetworks.com.
Award-winning restauranteur Lisa Dahl’s landslide carried her to Sedona. She turned her overwhelming grief for her son, who loved cooking with her, into inspiration for a culinary empire in a region that she says she was “called” to her. Today, she owns and operates six restaurants in the Red Rock Country and is the third largest employer in the Sedona area! You can hear her story and tour her Cucina Rustico Italian Kitchen on Zonie Living at StarWorldwideNetworks.com.
Where is your hidden landslide and how can you prepare for a spectacular change of a lifetime? Are you writing a book, starting a business, promoting a product?
If your future has the potential to thrust you into the spotlight, increase your visibility and attract clients, I invite you to prepare yourself for a landscape-changing landslide in 2024. I’m hosting a unique, immersive workshop in Sedona, Feb. 6-10, called “Shine!” A team of top-shelf professionals in journalism, broadcasting, public speaking, business and style will coach participants through writing, speaking and image exercises, including on-camera practice and business news exposure to help you become irresistibly newsworthy and sail through every interview and appearance with clarity, confidence and impact.
Shine! can get you ready for your professional landslide in story, soul and style. For more information, visit StorySoulStyle.com or contact me at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.
Change can be intimidating, however, facilitating our own landslide is exciting and can deposit us into rewarding new territory that we dare to envision for ourselves. QCBN
By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.
Courtesy Photo: The Marcus Landslide in Arizona’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve created a fascinating landscape of mushroom-shaped rocks and massive boulders previously hidden in a mountain of granite.
