Thankful for a quieter month person; here is my round-up for April as a coach, writer, and human being.
Daily constitutional
How far can you walk in 20 minutes?
I have decided to try and find out by taking daily walks around my local neighbourhood. Because as lovely as it would be to make the short drive to the beach, I cannot manage this every day. But I can find circular routes within twenty- minutes of my front door.
My philosophy is something is better than nothing; if I miss one day, it’s not the end of the world. I can pick up again the following day and won’t allow myself to miss two days in a row.
Whatever the weather, my constitutional is now part of my day. I need the discipline of daily practice, and a brisk twenty-minute walk is something I can fit into my lunch break. It lifts my mood, clears my head, and recharges me for the afternoon. I may not live in the most picturesque of places, but nature still has a way of showing up when you are on foot.
It’s the daily practice making a difference for me, so I’m curious what are you doing every day to promote your health and well-being?
Compassionate curiosity might be perfect right now.
I am naturally curious, forever asking questions about one thing or the other and then setting off to find the answers.
- What is it like to do a stand-up comedy routine? – I have already tried two courses and still might go for a third.
- How can I improve my writing? – this led to a two-year life-writing course when I was struggling with life in general. I almost didn’t return for the second week, but I am so glad I did. It got me started on my collection of stories.
- What is it like to work as a personal carer? – six months was eye-opening and heightened my respect for this profession. All done in memory of my mum and her amazing carer.
- How can #Chatgpt support me? – I’ve signed up, using it for research, experimenting with questions and treating it as a thinking partner.
- What is happening in the world of work right now? – I have plans for exploring this one. I want to try something different and push myself. It might take a while, but I will get there.
And as the years pass, I have learnt to ask questions of myself and others with increasing compassion.
So, where might your curiosity lead you?
Et tu, Brute?
A few weekends ago, I was delighted to see an all-female production of Julius Caesar. I was mesmerised by the whole thing, the staging, the make-up, the costumes – not a single toga in sight and the powerful performances of the final-year students at IC Theatre Brighton.
They all committed completely to their craft; it was easy to imagine we were back in Ancient Rome. The play then finished with a surprisingly haunting rendition of, ‘The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.’
I have no idea what the future holds for these young women, but I hope they continue to show up as powerfully and impressively as they did in Julius Caesar.
When I see young people stepping into their own, I can’t help but feel more hopeful for the future.
Pushing the reset button.
This is what I have learnt to do with my LinkedIn posts. Because in some weeks, they attract likes, comments, and a reasonable number of views; in others, it is like tumbleweed rolling across an empty stage – they barely attract a ripple.
Rather than dwell too long, and worry about what happened the previous week, I reset. I remind myself that I am starting from scratch with a clean slate, with no expectations. With this attitude, I find writing, posting, and then letting it go much easier.
And I leave it for a good few hours before checking my stats. If the numbers are low, then maybe they will pick up, or perhaps I haven’t quite hit the mark, or maybe the timing is wrong – but there is always next week.
So, what helps you to keep posting on LinkedIn?
Until next month
