There's a party going on in my backyard. Just beyond the goldfish pond you can hear the low hum coming from the bee ensemble. If you step closer, you can see them dancing on the tops of purple coneflowers dusting themselves in bright orange pollen. They seem intoxicated by the abundance of fragrant flowers. A vast treasure trove, I imagine, to a bee.

The butterflies gracefully pirouette onto lily tongues taking sips of nectar juice before moving on. Soon, sun-baked fields will yield native corn; varieties with names like Sweet Symphony,Silver Queen and Morning Star. Big, red, globe tomatoes kissed with summer's sweetness will also be ready for picking and eating.

This is abundance, right here, in my backyard. My contribution was to set the "table" with everything that would attract "the guests" that I wanted to invite. This took planning and preparation. I needed to know what to feed the flowers and other plants so they would be healthy and yield a bountiful supply of bee, butterfly and bird food. I also had to learn the language of winged things. I sought coaching from experts that specialize in the areas of plants, birds, bees, butterflies and their preferred habitats.

Since there are hundreds of varieties of plants,I knew that I could not have them all. I was selective and chose what I wanted in my garden based on my preferences for color, fragrance,touch and taste. I also had to clarify my intention for my garden. Did I want to attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies and/or feed my family?

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't prepare for what also shows up in a beautiful garden; the uninvited beetle or pest that creeps and clings on the edges of foliage and blossoms devouring everything including my joy!

In these instances, it is helpful to be prepared with a few strategies to take care of any unwanted party crashers.

Once again, with careful planning and preparation, clear intention, clarifying my personal preferences and getting coached by experts, I was able to transcend obstacles to achieve a better outcome than I could have ever imagined.

There's a party in my backyard. And now, you have my simple recipe for creating a party in your own backyard.

Nancy Bishop

Nancy Bishop is a Life Transitions Coach providing a menu of coaching programs and services to women at midlife who want to find more time, energy and abundance to live life more authentically.