Courageously face Change
Like many of us facing another week of lockdown earlier this year I felt challenged by the events around me, worn down emotionally and unsure of what was still to come.
The realisation that everything around me lack the vibrancy it once had – it was like life seen through cloudy glass – shocking and somehow expected!
Conversations had a monotony to them, the rooms in my house seemed smaller, my eyes always tired (who knew Zoom fatigue was going to be a thing), walking the same pavements for 1 hour each day (I now know how lucky we were) – yet nothing seem to spark any joy for me!
Not even my Marie Kondo style folded clothes sparked joy in this moment - if you haven’t seen the Japanese decluttering and clothes folding warrior take a look.
How easy did you find it to notice the little things in life?
I don’t know about you but I found it increasingly harder to notice the tiniest moments of joy in my day and if I did they seemed more fleeting, harder to grasp as the days, weeks and months moved on. Though I am sitting here now smiling to myself thinking about how self-absorbed this could sound if I were to listen to the voice of ‘Bridget’ but today she is but a distant hum.
I hear some of you say ‘get it in perspective Max’ and yes I agree that is important and it is all too easy to tell ourselves that our pain, our suffering, our feelings are not as important, somehow less worthy.
Yet without compassion for ourselves - how can we have compassion for others?
Cultivate your Compassion
I had the privilege of supporting our amazing UK NHS frontline staff through the work of the generous and dedicated team at ‘Coaching through Covid’ and as part of this work we were given the incredible opportunity to participate in the Stanford University developed learning programme - ‘Compassion Cultivation’. This could not have come at a better time for me personally and therefore for my clients.
Revel in your Resilience
I remembered something someone once said to me “Follow your plan, not your mood” – as hard as this can seem to do I have found it incredibly powerful in helping me see the rays of light through the cloudy glass.
Be Resourceful
- Discover those activities that give you energy – meditation, nature, music, reading, dancing.
- Keep it in perspective.
- Seek out organisations that believe in a culture of compassion.
- Cultivate your compassion
Sometimes the strength within is not a fiery flame but a tiny spark that whispers every so softly…
If this story speaks to you and you want to know more about how to resource yourself we would love to connect with you.
