Wise Wednesdays

The best way to predict the future is to create it. If you're wondering what to do with yourself in these times, the answer is simple: you’re being asked to do nothing. For the first time in human history, this is exactly what’s being required of us. The viral contagion spreads with (traditional) social and economic activity. This doesn’t mean you should sit still on the sofa all day but rather something like: stay home (if you can), do what’s in front of you (wherever you are) and cut out the unnecessary negative thinking, predicting, speculating, planning and unnecessary busy-ness that might normally fill up your mind and drain your energy. In any case, not everyone is feeling fear. I was speaking with one of my clients this week who said she was feeling grateful to be able to work from home, in a quiet space and be OK financially for now. But I also spoke with a number of clients who are doctors at the coalface of healthcare and they feel calm and even revv...

If you live on Planet Earth, then you’ve probably become very aware of the need for the drastic reorganisation that our societies are going through. If you read Wise Wednesdays, then you’re likely someone who easily attunes to the large scale dynamics (emotional and psychological) and are feeling them keenly as you try to ground yourself and tap into the forward flow of the universe. It also happens to be four years this month since I started working from home and almost exclusively online. I’ve been in a lockdown of sorts for 4 years and it’s been eye opening in ways that I hadn’t expected. With coronavirus, I believe we are just catching up to the future of work and society. We’re being forced to pivot and realign with a new (and ignored) reality. Our mindset has to change. But there are a few walls of fear to break through as one realigns, whether it’s just you or you and your family including: fear of loneliness, uncertainty, lack of guidance and lack of structure. They...

Coronavirus is playing on most people’s nerves at the moment. The more it spreads the greater the fear, the greater the fear, the more intense the desire for guidance and certainty. But the outcome of the epidemic/pandemic is difficult to predict because there are so many interacting variables, not least of which is human behaviour. The paradox is that we desire certainty and answers when they are the least available. When life seems unmanageable or a change is taking place that you feel you have no control over, having access to a “guru” (whether it’s a mentor, coach, wise friend, therapist or someone you admire) to give you the answers can seem desirable. But is it what you really need? It depends on what you mean by guru. If by “guru” you mean an external source of authority who can give you fixed answers, you may be shooting yourself in the foot. If by “guru” you mean someone who has gone further than you have and holds relevant knowledge and experience, then you may be a...