Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound of a tap needing fixing. Or the sound of drops filling a bucket. What if you had drops filling your bucket? Consistently, one drip at a time. Today, allow drops of joy to enter your system. Doesn’t matter where they come from. Let them enter. Consistently, predictably. Drip. Drip. Drip.
“Where are we? I don’t know”. Those two sentences were given to us at our wedding as a quote, only making sense many years later. Sometimes the hardest thing is being honest as leaders and humans: I don’t know. For many industries, businesses, countries, families, and individuals – myself included – the last year has brought turbulence and change. In many ways very positive change redefining the way we do a lot of things. Yet, we may sense that there is more uncertainty than we were used to. Where are we? I don’t know. Clarity will come as we ask the right questions. I’m sure it’s coming. “Må min vej gå mig imøde” (may my path come towards me) as said by Johannes Møllehave, a wonderfully weird and visionary Danish writer and priest. Where are we? I don’t know. And that’s OK.
Two by two like a pre-school outing. Definitely received the dress code memo. Something not stacking up, though. This morning I met a squad of bushwalkers. All-female, all-equipped with walking poles and leg protectors. A certainty around them coming from being alike more than from the inside. As I passed, the scattered little teams of two exclaimed: oh, I thought you were one of us. Might have been my pink running shirt – or just the fact that they saw only them and their kind. As neat as their dress code, coupled teams and chatter seemed, it was a made-up bunch. Not a natural fit or one conducive for digging deeper or exploration. Inside nor out. I wasn’t one of their kind, really couldn’t think of anything worse than experiencing the bush through their company and eyes that didn’t see. Chatting away and only seeing the inside of their circle, they totally missed the most awe-inspiring eagle – down at the creek, not at cruising height. What are we missing when we get too caught up in likeness? Take a look at your staff. Observe your friendship groups. Check out your client base. As easy as it is when we’re … More Fitting right out? »
Symmetry is pleasing to the eye. They say “officially beautiful people” are perceived so because of their clean symmetry. It’s not a specific nose or cheekbone that does the job, it’s the overall symmetry. Draw an imaginary line down the middle of their face and the sides match up. Well, most of us are a bit wonky, my left eye much bigger than the right and so on. But look at nature, at how much symmetry we find. I was at the local creek, marvelling at the many mirroring images of trees, cliffs and clouds on the water surface and realised how meaningful reflection is. Reflecting on things. Being able to mirror ourselves in others. The void some of us have felt recently getting used to new ways of seeing each other and being seen. The refreshing part of seeing things from a different perspective. As a coach, a lot of our clients’ successes are because we help them get a different perspective. See things a new way. Challenge the old, stuck ways of doing, saying, thinking, being. We help to move towards balance. Where the outside image is connected with the inner picture. Us as leaders. Our clients’ view … More From wonky to wonderful »
Nothing. Is that allowed? Is it socially acceptable? Is it possible for a busy business owner? Don’t care. Don’t care. And yes, are my answers to these 3 questions. Today I’m doing nothing. It’s a rainy day in Sydney and the Northern Hemisphere has moved to wintertime, the end of daylight saving. In many ways a perfect day to do nothing. Yet, it comes with nearly shame and guilt for us humans, if we do nothing. We feel we have to be seen running, saying we’re busy, ticking off boxes, getting stuff done. Fair enough, that’s what we do a lot of our time, a lot of our days. But have you tried truly doing nothing? At home? Not having to take a holiday overseas and lay on a beach to allow yourself the little break. If not, today may be a perfect time. Here’s the beauty: the more efficient we become with our active time, the more fruitful we are, the more focused and decisive – the more we can relax as well. Being either fully on or fully off. Drop that in-between-mode of looking like you’re busy, but not really getting a lot done because the voices in … More What are you doing?? »
Aren’t our senses amazing? A quick question for you: which of YOUR senses do you use/rely on the most?? We’re looking forward to your replies below – one word can do it – thanks for sharing! The backstory for those of you with a bit more time: this week on my morning jog I enjoyed the smell of jasmine, freshly cut grass – and the bins ready to be emptied?! It took me back to years ago in my corporate career where I was so fully in my masculine, focused on delivering and driven by the need for control that I had shut down all my senses – except for the visual one. My sharp eyes (well, mainly because of laser surgery a few years ago😀), my big vision focus, the branding trained eyes, working with big picture strategy mixed with spotting a missing detail in a plan – I think you get the drift: visual was my main sense to rely on. I worked in a beautiful world of coffee and tea, and at the tasting sessions with our Master Roaster, I originally had to close my eyes (shut down that dominant sense of mine) to practise and dial-up … More Close your eyes to smell…??!! »
Time, energy and love are amazing assets that we have plenty of. Yet, most of us treat them as if they are a scarce resource like money or oil that you shouldn’t spend too much of – afraid you may run out. Anyone with kids knows that when you have one child and get another, it’s not that you have spent all your love on the first and don’t have anything more to give! It’s nearly opposite: the more you give, the more is created within you. It’s like an automatic replenishment system! The scarce resources like money and oil are external, outside of us. The resources that truly matter come or are created from within. The more you practice love, the more it’s replenished. The more you learn to enjoy and appreciate and value your own time and energy, the better you get at giving lots of it and feeling you still have lots. You may know the saying: give something you want to be done to a busy woman? We all get good with practice. Here’s the catch: the love given can’t be the bitter kind of love. Or guilty love. The time given can’t be time given … More Run out of love? »
There are people so full of themselves that you can’t stand watching. And then there are people being so much themselves that you can’t STOP watching. The current horrendous situation with the bushfires in Australia is gut-wrenching. The fires have been continuing for months and will only cease when we get plenty of rain, and the losses for people, livelihoods and nature are devastating. In the midst of this, one example from the last days gives me hope for the changes we can make going forward and the power of visibility and numbers. It’s an example of how being visible can make a massive difference when you use it for the greater good. You may have heard of the Australian comedian, Celeste Barber. Our daughters introduced me to her on Instagram years ago, and she has since gathered 6 Mio followers globally by sharing and contrasting the glossy, perfect model image with her exposing her own normal, not-perfect body and being in non-flattering ways. Using humour to tackle the difficult stuff. That in itself is hilarious and she is a great voice for us all. As her parents-in-law are in one of the areas at great risk and with lots … More Full of yourself? »
You may recall the song line: Every rose has its thorns…. Well, well, recently I saw with my own eyes how some cacti have flowers, too. It reminded me how – no matter the first impressions – there is always more to ourselves and others. As you go into all the family and friend gatherings this time of year – why not try looking for the NOT so obvious in yourself and others? Have conversations that dig a bit deeper? You may be surprised to see some pretty pictures that have much more to them – and that they too appreciate the conversation going beyond the surface. And then you may just be positively surprised as you approach some of the more prickly suspects – only to find some common ground and surprising worlds unfolding. Enjoy looking for what you don’t expect these next weeks!
On the radio today, I got the opportunity to have a conversation with a good colleague around over-committing ourselves and what to do about it. Do you recognise it? Especially this time of year. So many of us stressing out about all the events we have committed to. Here’s the truth: it’s never about how much is in the calendar. It’s how we tackle it. We all have 24 hrs in a day, and this time of year gives us the opportunity to become even better at tackling busyness. Tip #1: you have committed, accept that it is what it is Tip #2: plan for respectful and smooth arrivals and departures Tip #3: be present Let’s unpack each one of them. First of all, when you have committed – that’s it. Stop running stories in your head or out loud about how you have over-committed or how busy it is or how full-on this weekend will be. Advance coaching: stop it! You say yes or no upfront, and when you have committed, no need to waste brain and air-time creating dramas around it. Secondly, if you have been slightly over-optimistic with how much you can fit in a day, be … More Over-committing myself…. who me??!! »
