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THE greatest showman, surely, was Freddie Mercury. Which reminds me, Bohemian Rhapsody the movie is currently free on Amazon Prime and I must take the opportunity to revisit it. 

I digress. 

I became self-employed in April 2012. Since that time I’ve worked sometimes at home, sometimes on client sites, and sometimes at office locations where I’m an Associate. And at home, I’ve never created a proper workspace for me….until now.

On 22nd January it was the third anniversary of my Mum’s death. Both my parents died during the month of January, many years apart. And I had agreed this year on 22nd January to run an errand with another family member who needed a chauffeur. A good distraction….

As I did in January 2020, I want share with you something I’ve read which tells a great story and I hope resonates with you as much as it does with me. It is the story of Akiba, taken from The Talmud:

Here is always beneath There. Mark Nepo.

We come with all these parts and no instructions how they go together. Mark Nepo.

I’m very late to the party on this one. During those very hot evenings in early August, I flopped in front of the telly and began watching Series 1 of Line of Duty. We’d had a conversation about it and my eldest brother had said he’d just watched it and was blown away by it. So trusting his recommendation, I got stuck in. I wasn’t disappointed.

During lockdown we got engaged, and now we’ve set a date in September 2021. It’s all very exciting. 

But setting the date has sent me into ‘goal mode’. And the thing I’ve really been struggling with is what size I want to be and what I want to wear.

My coaching training taught me that the only way to work with clients was to begin by helping them establish well-formed outcomes, or goals. I had a fairly rigid process to follow in order to achieve that, which sometimes meant questioning the client quite fiercely about whether they were signed up to their goal in the first place.

We are living in uncertain times. At the beginning of lockdown, we understood what was expected of us. There was certainty. As we move further into easedown, it is uncertainty that is taking hold. And for many of us that represents a challenge. 

“One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” Henry Miller.

I found this wonderful quote from Joseph Campbell, who worked in the field of myth and religion and gave us the The Hero with A Thousand Faces and the Hero’s Journey. He said “We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned so that we can have the life that is waiting for us.” This seems even more relevant than ever in our Covid-19 world. 

“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” Anna Quindlen.

I want to talk to you about killing time. Aimless. No motivation. Avoidance behaviours (in my case, they include comfort eating and shopping). Another way of describing this state is LIMBO.

A client of mine has introduced me to a wonderful metaphor…..don’t be distracted by the smaller crocodiles next to the canoe, focus on the great big ones which are basking on the bank. 

A dear friend introduced me to this little poem a couple of years ago. I was reminded of it recently and thought it would make a great New Year’s share. 

I’m feeling reflective. It’s the time of year with short days and long evenings. A sense of hibernation. And deepening thoughts. I came upon this lovely quote: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” David Viscott.

I was planning to go on a retreat this autumn for the first time, and that didn’t happen. It made space for something else important to happen in my life, so that was a gift in itself. 

“If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realising that you are the author.” Mark Houlahan.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Will Durant.

Driving home on a sunny afternoon, sunroof open, and a Spotify playlist called “70’s Roadtrip” blaring through my car speakers. Summer is here and it feels good.

Sometimes it can take me ages to get started with a blog post. I distract myself with looking for nice images and relevant quotes. I over-think it.

“Enlightenment must come little by little – otherwise it would overwhelm”. Idries Shah