Who do you want to be? You’ve got the power to correct course!
I know it is controversial and I almost don’t dare to say it, but the additional time I had due to the pandemic’s restriction was of immense value for me and had a very positive impact on my life. But I also realise the tragedy of people contracting Corona, having lost their loved ones, struggled with the lockdown, or may have even lost their jobs.
Now that a year has passed, I am reflecting on what has changed and how much I have changed. We all experienced waves of the pandemic which affected all of us mentally and physically. I had time to think about what is important to me, working from self-development through online courses to what on earth is my future going to bring. However, I’ve realised that it has taught me three valuable lessons:
- Living in the moment
- Cultivate being grateful
- It is your choice to create your own happiness
“Dream big. Start small. But most of all start.” Simon Sinek
Living in the moment
During this last year I lived day by day not really thinking about tomorrow, next week or next month. I noticed and acknowledged little things from sunshine, winter wonderland, plants blooming or watching birds. I went back to basics, even starting to cook from scratch. It made me think of my loved ones who were far away and that gave me the needed self-love and nourishment I craved for.
To my surprise what really helped me was a past experience looking after my mother when she had breast cancer (thankfully my mom is fine now). This is something that I did in my early twenties, and at that time it was quite a lonely and traumatic experience. This taught me to live in the moment, helped me to cope better with uncertainties and brought a whole new perspective on today’s pandemic.
Being on airplanes flying to the UK or the US on a regular basis for work, my life has taken a very different turn. With more time on my hands, I was finally able to spend quality time with my friends. I have marvellous friends and colleagues who helped me through the last year. In times like this people show their true colours. Weather permitting, we used every opportunity to walk and talk outside or have regular zoom meetings. My online learning community became more important and when my company was restructuring and I found myself without a job, I was carried by so much love and support around me.
“Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do.” Brené Brown
Cultivate being grateful
Overall, now that spring is in the air, I have the feeling the economic climate is looking more positive. Focusing on self-development on a personal and business level, made me redefine my life, put boundaries in place with people and work. Most importantly I now feel more grounded within.
Looking after my ever-growing team in the past and ensuring their development over the years, I finally set priorities to invest in myself: first it felt strange, but once I started, I was soaking up new knowledge, realising that I had starved myself in order to give to others. My priority now is, being at the front of the queue and that feels amazing! I never want to look back but move forward. I will always keep on learning and developing for it keeps me:
- Being curious
- Feeling alive
- Pushing my boundaries
I experienced the different learning approaches across multiple cultures and the American way of learning I value the most. It is a positive and encouraging approach with theoretical and practical sections, and most importantly it builds on your own strengths.
To ensure a better understanding on how to implement happiness for myself within my workplace, I enrolled in a fantastic three-course series from Berkley through @EdX called “The Science of Happiness at Work”. It teaches you the ‘What, Why, and How of increasing happiness at work through research-based strategies, enabling you to boost engagement, teamwork, and productivity in your organisation which is led by Dacher Keltner and Emiliana Simon-Thomas. Here is a little video snippet to give you a better idea:
I can highly recommend this course to everybody since we all need to be the change as Mahatma Gandhi said:
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
It seems that this topic has struck a chord in the last years and soared in its popularity. Yale is offering a similar course called “The Science of Well-Being”.
I have always embraced change and learning. It takes time to see the development to be able to define the journey ahead. I could never imagine starting my own business, however, now that I have, I’ve jumped into it with excitement and passion. There are two key things that I love and that energise me:
- Solving problems — the more complex the better
- Supporting people to find their voice and see them grow
It is your choice to create your own happiness
Over the last year, I’ve seen many brave people choose a completely new work path that is fulfilling, rather than a job that just pays the bills. Through my own personal development, I felt confident about myself and made a conscious choice to embrace this opportunity. In addition, I believe that I’ve started to work for the best boss ever — myself!
Others were not so fortunate. They need a lot of self-motivation to keep going and staying positive, which is difficult if you are one in 500 applicants and most of the preselection has been made by an algorithm.
“If not now, when? If not you, who? If not this, what?” Hillel the Elder
After 20 years in advertising, I’ve decided to work as a freelancer. Offering a safe pair of hands, enjoying the adrenaline rush of deadlines and creating more efficiencies, e.g., the overall creative process of teamwork that makes a dream work. Combining freelance in advertising and my coaching business plays to my strength and is a rewarding combination for me personally.
Being coached a few years ago has changed me and my world. It made me understand that I have the power within to change my life. Personally, I wish I could have started this journey earlier. I feel more confident and clearer on who I am, what my values are and how to deal with delicate situations. Becoming a coach myself has been an amazing, fulfilling journey where you meet as human beings discovering your true voice and colour.
So, what has the last year taught me?
To look into the mirror, to see my true self and start talking about my dreams and fears out loud. Then the transformation unfolds. As I have found my values and needs, I would like to support others to find their very own path.
So, how about you!?
If you are ready to scratch the surface of your self-discovery let me know! Drop me a line now or later. I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Until then, take care.
