When things happen in 3s, I pay close attention.

If that's a bit too woo-woo for you, you probably need to stop reading now, because this JOY-train is heading down a path more and more aligned with that side of things... of me.

My love of 3s started with beverages. Noticing them that is. On my desk, you'll rarely find less than three. Coffee, water, green tea. Even if the coffee mug is empty, as I'm not a chain-drinker, it remains until something else is ready to slide into it's third place position.

Judge away or see how numbers work in your world for a moment.

See numbers are the secret, or not so secret language of the universe. All is math.

And to think I once hated math.
Then taught math.
Ah, the irony.

If you aren't aware, I'm a coach. (I was a teacher and well, always will be, but let’s stick with my coaching hat for a moment.)

Have been coaching creatives for (gasp) two decades.

Yep, I'm finally owning my sh*t and speaking up.

Pardon my bluntness, but clearing away the cobwebs I've been hiding behind for most of my life has been a messy, sometimes sticky job…

One of unpacking stories and interpretations and frankly, my very own brand of bullsh*t.

We've all been there, right? Walked through that spider web and gotten the heebie-jeebies... [insert full-body shiver]

Happens to me all the time.

And now I'm paying more attention.

I'm starting to find spiders increasingly fascinating... eight legs, eight eyes, figure-eight body, hello, infinity... not to mention the symmetricalness of those webs...

Did I mention the importance of all is numbers..?

While this JOYnote is not about creepy-crawlies or a math-riddle that leaves you stumped as to why anyone in their right mind would seriously want to know at what time, what speed and where in the world said trains meet...

[Head meet desk over math-worksheet-hell for all parents in all the cities, states, countries around all-the-world]

This message is about an apple.

Yep. Not expecting that one now were ya?

See, I mentioned I've been coaching peeps for 20 some years and this week apples came up three times with three amazing woman, during three separate conversations.

So I decided to write about it for you, today.

[rubbing hands together in delight]

Here's what I asked each of these beauties.

What do you see when you look at an apple?

The answers were delicious in their glossy surface-level at first.

Red. Fruit. Food. Shiny. Snack.

Each answer was perfection. So I asked a follow up question.

What do you see on the inside of the apple?

An amazing athlete who's also a closet songstress said, nutrients.

Brilliant.

My food blogging client, who's writing romance novels and killing-it said, juicy goodness.

Of course! [Insert giggle]

A new to me client, pondering her second book, reflected for a beat and asked, "Is it organic?"

My response. "It can be if you say it is."

She gave a curt nod then said firmly, lunch.

Al-right-y then.

Then I asked each one, Do you know what I see?

Each lady, separately of course as this was not group coaching, but more on that to come in 2021, nodded yes and leaned forward...

[pst, writer in you, this is power of story I'm modeling if you didn't yet catch it]

"I see possibility."

Spoiler alert... my words are in video form today. Press play as I share dive into my answer of just what I see when I look at an apple.

Then be sure to leave a comment below with your biggest take-away.

Photo Credit: Константин Маманович @anonsmi