I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last 3 weeks on holiday in both Australia and Singapore. A different holiday from normal as I went on my own and spent the time visiting and staying with friends, some I hadn’t seen for years and what was lovely was the way we picked up from where we had left off and carried on as though we’d seen each other yesterday. I really needed this holiday as I’d been feeling, as a friend had said to me, “emotionally loaded” over the last few months with unexpected stuff happening on the home and work front. I’m now heading back to work with a spacious head, feeling loved, with renewed energy for the life I live and lots of great intentions around work flow, time for friends, using the space/time I have more choicefully and really being present and attentive to those I work and play with….and I’ve been here before, as I know many people have.
I’m left wondering how I/we manage to sabotage ourselves so well and allow many of these great intentions to slip away? What are the things that we allow to get in the way of becoming our best selves and leading the life we want and intend to? Why do we allow them? What habits have we created that are unhelpful in achieving this and why do we often believe we have no choice or make choices that don’t fit with what we want?
I don’t have the answer and I do however feel as I get older that I have a greater sense of what is important to me and use that as my guide, especially when the unexpected happens, I acknowledge my lack of perfection as a human being and maybe don’t give myself such a hard time when I fall into a bad habit or make a choice that takes me down an unintended path! When I have conversations like this, in my head, I’m always reminded of Susan Scott in her book on Fierce Conversations when she writes “life’s curly don’t try to straighten it out”.
However above all I know I rely on the support, love and challenge of my friendships both in and outside work to be with me on my “curly” journey; the last few months have been an uplifting reminder of that.