Wise Wednesdays

It was spring/summer 2014 when I found myself in tears on a park bench outside the building where I worked. I think it was the first time I’d cried at work. The pressure was mounting. I’d spent almost two decades building a career that I loved. But I felt the path was petering out underneath my feet. The next step wasn’t clear. Why was it so hard? I just wanted to do something useful. I had jumped through a lot of hoops, too. But the goalposts kept moving. That’s when it dawned on me: the goalposts would never stop moving. It’s just how the game worked. And that’s when I realised it was time to let go. The need for safety, certainty, validation, certification. None of it could help me now. It was time to surrender to the unknown. And the rest is history. If you’re going through something similar, know that the spot you find yourself in is perfect. The universe has designed it just for you. You can take a deep breath and relax into the ...

Think about some of the best moments or opportunities of your life or career: chances are there was an element of spontaneity and surprise. Perhaps it seemed like a problem to start with, then turned into a great opportunity.  This week I came home and found a copy of the Institute of Leadership and Management journal which I wasn’t expecting. I’d forgotten I’d written a piece on happiness a few months ago which appeared in this quarter’s issue. It wasn’t a goal. The opportunity came about through a series of conversations and the development of relationships around values I care about: freedom, truth and deep fulfilment.  When we’re in flow, our goal-setting mind is switched off. Masterful musicians and artists do this. You’ve probably experienced moments of flow in particular activities yourself. You may have even experienced a wider sense of synchronicity and ease in periods of your life. Our culture disconnects us from flow as a way of being. Goals and ...