The light was streaming through the trees in the morning hours in a way that it lit up things that would otherwise go unnoticed. This time it was a spiderweb suspended between two trees, maybe 15-20 feet above the ground. How did it get up so high and bridge the gap between two trees that were at least 20 feet apart to spin its web. I’m sure someone can explain how spiders do that, but it was pretty impressive to see.

There are things that occur every day that would otherwise seem impossible. It’s worth taking time to look around to be inspired by possibilities.

During the winter and spring, the local creek fills up with fast moving water. At points, it is so fast moving, dirt and sediment are carved out of the sides and base of the creek bed. As the water subsides, the ripples in the creek bed that the fast moving water left become visible. There’s always a change…a difference in the structure of the creek.

In business, there are times when the volume and velocity of work are so significant and fast moving, it’s hard to tell what is getting carried away. But when the rush subsides, it is important to take a look and make sure the foundation is still intact. After all, what’s left needs to support the business going forward.

There are some rules of the road everyone knows. Stop at a red light. Go when it turns green. Follow the speed limit (in general). But there are others that people forgot or never knew. Like you cannot turn left over two sets of double yellow lines. The rules exist to keep traffic moving safely. And when people don’t follow them, it can cause accidents or near accidents.

The same is true in business. When people take shortcuts, make abrupt changes in direction, or disrupt the flow, it can create problems. It is possible to move fast and innovate while following the rules of the road.

A few weeks ago, I ordered a few items online to be delivered overnight. The package showed up on-time. But when I saw it, something seemed off. Then I picked it up and it felt like there was nothing inside. That’s because there wasn’t anything inside. There was a slit on the bottom of the package that I assume all the items fell through before reaching me.

Could the person delivering the item know it was empty? There’s a weight listed on the label, and clearly the package was not the weight listed. But is it their job to notice?

There’s a pattern that develops over time. Some people will notice and look a bit closer, see a problem and try to resolve it. They are your top performers. Others will follow the specific instructions and not go beyond. And they will have very different views of the job. Which person do you want working for you?

It has been hot. Record breaking hot for the last four days. And my garden isn’t liking it much. The tomato plants started drooping, asking for a second watering. But, had the leaves not drooped, I would not have seen the first ripe tomato of the season hiding in the middle. It was there, I just wasn’t looking for it.

In business, there are a lot of things that are hidden from sight. And if we aren’t looking for them, we just might miss them.

For the first time this year, I grew garlic. Basically, you put cloves in the ground in the fall. Then in the spring as they start to grow, you water and fertilize. Somehow that one clove becomes an entire bulb of garlic. It’s a bit like magic.

Planting ideas works the same way. You put them out there, give them some space and nurturing and they grow and multiply. They just take a little time.

It was a typical Saturday morning. Get up, open the windows, take a peek outside. And that’s when the typical became unusual. There was a deer eating apples from the tree. In many places, that may be a common site. But not in the suburbs. The noise made by the window as it opened caused the deer to turn around and look at me for a moment. Realizing there was no danger, he turned back to the tree and munching on apples. He found opportunity that was missed by others.

In business, people often look for opportunity where it is safe. But sometimes taking a little risk can yield significant reward. You just need to have an inkling of where opportunity may exist that yields significant reward.

A month ago, two coyotes roamed through a field pouncing on little critters every ten feet or so. It was easy pickings for them. Today, in that same field, two coyotes were there. This time, they stared at me rather than ignoring me to focus on pouncing. They changed their focus to other people as they appeared on the path by the field. The focus was always on people. It was a stark change from the last time I saw them when they ignored the people in the area.

Times can change quickly. And so can focus. In today’s fast paced environment, people move their attention from one thing to another rapidly. The tough thing for leaders is keeping people focused on goals and objectives. Companies that succeed are able to keep attention on things that matter to keep them moving forward.