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A rainbow, in fact, it was a double rainbow, bright, brilliantly and distinctly displaying each hue we've come to identify with rainbows, stretched from side to side of the road I was driving along one morning in Brittany. 

And it appeared seemingly out of nowhere as just moments before, as I headed along the same road, same direction, it wasn't there, but rain had been falling and had just ceased, and then there it was. Thankfully, I wasn't driving very fast because upon seeing the rainbow, I wasn't watching for the next few seconds. My mouth fell agape, and I sat and stared as a smile emerged that I could not have hidden if I had tried. I was in awe. 

Of course, I thought of Norman and Oscar in that moment as I always do when I see a rainbow wherever I might be, but I also reminded myself to take note of the serendipity of it all. As many TSLL readers know, rain is my favorite weather only after another day of rain. Don't get me wrong, I love a sunshine moment, but rain, more comfort is found in a rainy day that can be described.  And so for the week I spent in my cottage in the countryside in north Brittany, I felt more at home than I have ever felt, and notably, I often feel quite at home when in the British or French countryside. But this time was different. Why? As I will share with TOP Tier Members in tomorrow's A Cuppa Moments, because I had grown in a couple of helpful ways. 

And as readers will discover in today's Monday Motivational post, the growth that is needed to discover our full potential and what we can uniquely give doesn't have a map of how to attain it. In fact, even when we set out on our journey, there isn't a guarantee that we will attain it, but we will discover nothing if we do not begin. The only way to grow is to first take action. It begins with a single step, followed by another step toward whatever it is that keeps nudging us to explore. As we travel along this journey, ever so gradually and sometimes in bursts of great bounds, a quiet confidence builds, and that confidence is what ensures we will reach the reward that is ours to discover, even if, as in my case, it takes 25 years to finally figure it out. 

So whatever you are wishing you knew or could figure out. The most constructive thing you can do is after settling yourself so that you can become clear about what you are trying to learn or figure out, is to begin by doing something that takes you one step closer to where you want to arrive - whether it is learning a particular skill you need, or making a decision that needs to be made in order to [insert what is lacking at the moment]. Just begin, no matter how small the first step, and then continue that pattern. 

It took me eight trips to France to finally discover what I had been looking for, but with each trip, with each exploration my curiosity took me on, I gained priceless knowledge that grounds me in a quiet confidence about my life journey today and moving forward. 

Now to the newsletter. You will find, yep, quite a bit of Francophile content - travel tips, language and more, but you will also find inspiring Motivational posts, jam-packed This & Thats and the Spring Shopping Guide along with still more content. Thank you for subscribing, and until Tuesday April 1st, I will see you on the blog.  

Bonne journée,

—Shannon