A beginning ...

It is so easy to make a drama out of a crisis. Sometimes we forget that gifts come to us, wrapped as obstacles.

I am not referring to the overwhelming losses that many have experienced in recent months or the many challenges people have been forced to face, as one crisis after another appeared on their horizon. These can be daunting at any time but are especially stressful when it seems that there is no end in sight.

What I am referring to here, is my taking personal stock of the many moments when it seemed that disaster had struck, only for me to realise that it was only a hiccup in life's order of things. Obviously not my order of things ... which my family say is working to an instant timetable of events. Except for coffee of course!

This involved looking in the (metaphorical) mirror and noticing how many times my mind went to a hasty judgement rather than a considered point of view. Another biggy, as in a "Eureka" moment, was realising that frustration can be a favourite "go to" emotion and how destructive that particular emotion is to myself and on others!

Disappointment too, loomed large, as one delay after another had to be dealt with  ... and I am not just talking about the attic conversion!

What once was!

Now  - a stairway to heaven!

I broke a tooth during the first week of lockdown and as initially there was no dentistry available (apart from extraction)  I  have had to deal with some ongoing "issues" such as toothache and problems with eating!

These circumstances are easy to dramatise. However when there is no Oscar nomination forthcoming, it is best to recognise the gift and reflect on what it is offering ... such as:

Time for reflection, which is always a gift when a hectic schedule drains our energies and finding what is important in life sometimes needs that time-out period of inactivity.

Also Andy and I found that our wardrobe choices became limited due to clothes being in storage but it was our favourites that we wore over and over again ... after washing of course.

We also became more selective in other areas of choice.

• Choosing what to watch on the TV or even whether we wanted to watch the box, as we preferred to spend time enjoying what we were viewing! 
• Picking books that made us smile or recipes that inspired us to cook differently. 
• Scheduling daily activities of walking, yoga class, rebounding and gym ball have expanded for Andy into a regular three times a week golfing and an occasional cycle, weather permitting.

 ... and let's not forget, choosing to keep the communication channels open for family and friends. We are all inclined to assume, that people we love, know we care. However just setting a little time aside to share a chat, text or zoom will always be an important choice in our various relationships ...


When I attended Tony Robbins coaching, many, many moons ago, one of the first things I learned was that it takes 30 days to change a habit ... and recently we have had 4 x 30 days at least. So what habits have you changed or maybe you're like me and have just began to really notice what your habits are.

Tony also recommended appropriate regular reflective questioning. Lockdown questions could be:

What have you changed during this time?

What have you realised ... your "Eureka" moment?

What do you treasure?

What has gone, never to resurface?

The result is being a "renewed being"! Someone with a fresh perspective on life, a personal insight into who and what matters ... and importantly, how not to make a drama out of a crisis!

This moment in time could be the chance to experience a different way of being, not necessarily a total transformation ... but certainly, a new you, a beginning ...