The first half of May has mainly been about the Lake District, first on a family trip, and most recently at the Fred Whitton Challenge in Grasmere.
It’s an event that my husband has done solo for the last few years, first as a rider and most recently as an artist, but this time I went with him.
What a gift.
Time in a gorgeous location, a fun shared experience, a super friendly event with incredible community spirit, the loveliest people - plus, witnessing the true power of a support system.
Last Sunday I found my way in the Lake District.
As someone who is not renowned for their sense of direction - and has often got lost when navigating solo - this is a relatively big deal for me!
The day before we had climbed Hallin Fell as a group, then Stu and I took the long way back - a beautiful loop alongside Ullswater.
The next day it was just me and the dog.
I wasn’t 100% sure I could find my way - but I really wanted to.
It’s the week of my birthday.
The end of one annual cycle and the start of a new one. A time to pause and a moment to reflect, to celebrate, and to look ahead.
I’ll be doing just that - tucked away in a corner of the Lake District and at home.
So, in place of a reflection this Monday, here’s a birthday wish - with love from me to you.
When we’re grappling with a big decision our thoughts and feelings can go round and round, stuck in a loop that we can’t find a way to divert or direct.
It can feel exhausting, like we’re not getting anywhere, and yet… sometimes circling is an important part of our process.
In my own experience - and in coaching others - I find that we can often circle and explore the same topic or decisions over a number of sessions, days, weeks or months.
Especially if it’s a big one. One that takes us somewhere new or different in our life, work or relationships. One that impacts our lives or the people around us.
And that’s absolutely fine.
Our long-suffering palm tree is finally about to flower after years of ups and downs.
We bought it with high hopes and great expectations for how it would grow and what it would look like. Instead, it gradually wilted and browned and declined.
We couldn’t work it out. It was supposed to be a good one for our garden and everyone else’s looked amazing. Why wasn’t it living up to its potential? What was wrong with it? Had we bought a bad plant?
Turns out there was nothing wrong with the plant.
The last few weeks have been full of my favourite things - people and their career timelines.
I love collaborating with someone to look back and learn from their journey so far - to make sense of it and use the insights to shape the path ahead.
It’s a complete gift to be a part of the process. To see and hear someone’s story. To find the themes, the patterns, the ups and the downs. To spot the threads and create a compass to navigate forward with.
But what strikes me more and more is just how much there is to learn before we even start exploring the detail.
