This year has been very rewarding with the opportunity to travel to North America multiple times. I have enjoyed meeting and listening to many new people.
There have been great conversations across multiple international generations – from a colleague in their seventies (full of energy and wisdom) to others in their twenties and everyone in between. Some reflections...
There is an element of living in the present, enjoying the moment while people re-enter life.
What do I mean by re-entering life? For some, it is going back to doing what they love. For others, it is a realisation that they need to find something they love. People have said they have more urgency in addressing the stuff they don’t enjoy or want.
Experiences are paramount. Almost everyone I spoke with was exploring something new and different. In a sense, they wanted to breathe some fresh air.
Workplaces and organisations are a place to connect rather than work. For many, working remotely has been more productive and (once the children were back at school) has allowed people the flexibility to do mundane life tasks at more suitable times.
Geo-political tensions are a concern for many. The conflict in Europe, the situation in Asia and internal political situations are driving a greater engagement in local communities as people seek to make their part of the world a better place.
Almost all conversations are deeper, personal, and more connected, discussing some tough stuff. People have a genuine interest in one another’s perspectives. I found Taxi and Uber drivers very interested in your experience over the last couple of years and what you have decided to change as a result.
So, what do you do if you find yourself assessing and making a change?
Gut - what does your intuition tell you?
Head - what do you think you should do?
Heart - how do you feel about that?
The Heart, the feeling of something, is very important. In discussing all the above with a former colleague, we both concluded that how something makes us feel after a week of thinking about it, will determine the next steps.
Where is your Heart at?
One of the insights within Making Life Happen.