Forget YOU not!

This is a Forget me Not.  Not only are they one of my favourite plants (much to old school gardeners horror as it was often seen as a weed) but it is also a fantastic reminder to us all to REMEMBER WHO WE ARE!!!

In a world that is so fast paced and often pressured we can sometimes forget who we really are & what is most important to us; what we are really awesome at... what other people see in us, what our fundamental learnings have been.  This can lead to a feeling of confusion or stuckness - the hamster wheel effect - without an exit or the means to find or create one!  I definitely found myself feeling stuck recently in terms of where I want to take my work next.  I recognised I was being drawn more & more to immersing myself in the biodiversity & climate crisis & as a result I have read some incredible books (such as Less is More by Jason Hickle & This one wild & precious life by Sarah Wilson) and talked to some of the leading lights in the area of climate coaching (Linda Aspey & Charly Cox in particular, Charly's book Climate Change Coaching is AWESOME too for any coaches out there). 

However I found myself getting sucked into the very thing I was wanting to help others avoid - that is overwhelm.  My LinkedIn algorithm obligingly showed me all the catastrophic posts about the heatwaves, rainforest destruction, the decimation of the oceans and so on... it was what I'd been commenting on so of course I was shown more and more of this type of content.  I went into a bit of tailspin and couldn't see the wood for the trees (pardon the pun) and became an absolute nightmare to have a conversation with at home because everything became about the problem we/I was facing.

It was at this point - actually a couple of weeks into an extended break I had over the summer - that I decided to listen back to a podcast (Seize the Day)  I had recorded with the fabulous Natalie Miller Snell from NMS Coaching.  Now this wasn't due to an over inflated ego (I think?!?!?) but more to remind myself of what I had talked about.  The opportunity to tell my story and focus on my learnings was SO valuable - it was a chance to remember exactly who I really am - what I have experienced and what I have learned as a consequence: things like Ride the waves in a storm, Say YES, We grow from facing the s**t, ALL emotions are valid and there for a reason!  I took this one step further and re-read my LinkedIn profile as another reminder- all of a sudden it was staring me in the face - I am known for my ability to focus on solutions, to bring positivity in & foster that CAN DO attitude, to ride the waves & to say YES.  This totally re-invigorated me & I have re-set my goals for the year.  By this time next year I want to be actively part of the solution to the environmental crisis we find ourselves in.  To me this means carrying on my pro bono work with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust but also looking into other ways I can be more active in projects involved in carbon capturing as well as preserving landscapes & biodiversity, & creating educational experiences to re-connect people to the land.  It means focusing on what IS being done and what CAN be done.  This approach is far more in tune with how I operate - it will keep me forward focused & motivated to make a difference.

All this came from a bit of remembering....  If you feel in need of a reminder of who you really are, maybe you are wanting to make some changes or you feel a bit stuck I can highly recommend sitting down with a trusted friend or journaling about your life story... maybe the following will help:

• Tell the story of your life - passions, jobs, relationships, pivotal decisions you've made, how you dealt with experiences, where you've lived, how you've changed, what you've achieved, who you've influenced, who's influenced you...
• What are the key learnings you can take from this story about YOU?
• What qualities do other people see in you?
• What are you known for?
• How does all of the above inform your current situation?
• How will you remember all of this going forward?!

Enjoy this reflection & I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback!