Last year we learnt that we aren’t in control, that things can change in an instant and – most importantly – that we can weather what life throws at us. This year, we’ve already realised that change is not a sprint – it is a marathon. We need to pace ourselves and continue to adjust our lives to thrive, regardless of the context – be less hare and more tortoise!
Here are 5 ways to help you and yours thrive in 2021, from our friend, Nikki Levitan. They are based on her expertise as a wellness educator and are good for everyone of any age, life stage, gender and experience –
STAY CONNECTED: Reach out each day to a friend. Share something that was good – and also something that was not so good.
BE ACTIVE: Leave the house to breathe some air, look at a tree or the sky. Move your body. Dance! Or try 10mins of Yoga.
TAKE NOTICE: Be conscious of the small things that usually go unnoticed: a nice bath, the smell of home-cooked food, the colour of the sky, a message from a friend that makes you smile. Perhaps keep a gratitude list?
KEEP LEARNING: What do you learn today, that you did not know before? What are you learning about yourself in these times? Join a She Leads Change event or programme to learn more, with others.
GIVE: Your time, love, energy to someone else. Offer support to a shielding neighbour, call a relative you know is alone or a friend who has poor mental health. A little kindness goes a long way and makes you feel good too.
At She Leads Change, we offer both learning and community – please join us for:
A She Leads Change Experience – an evening to connect and learn with like-minded people on 19th Jan from 17:00 – 18:30GMT
LeadMore – a regular dose of expert learning and thoughtful connection every month for anyone wanting to be part of a vibrant, learning community
Leading from Within – a 3month transformative leadership programme, for women at any stage of their journey, wanting to bring themselves more fully to their work and lives, starting 23rd of February 2021.
Leading Collective Impact: a 4month programme to explore and expand your leadership capability – engage the collective in leading transformational change, in diversity and inclusion, starting May 2021.
“IT IS NOT HOW WE LIVE IN THE LIGHT THAT ENLIGHTENS US, IT IS HOW WE LIVE IN THE DARK.” —RUNE LAZULI
Let’s imagine our best possible year and find ways to live into it, together.
Our partners at Pearsonare hosting at free online virtual event – Diversityin Science 10am on 9 July. The aim of this event will be to work towards our mission of supporting science education that is universally accessible, relevant and engaging to all learners.
Diversity drives innovation and science needs innovators. Therefore, we want to build a culture in science education where difference is valued and part of what makes science inspiring.
Passionate about learning and development, Pearson are proud supporters of She Leads Change. We’ve loved working alongside Pearson and are looking forward to their next cohort joining our Open Programme and Collective Impact programme in September.
“I have been given a glimpse of the future and the path I can follow, safe in the knowledge I am making a difference and a change, so world here I come…”– Melanie, Pearson She Leads Change participant
If you’d like to find out more about our upcoming programmes and how we can support you on your leadership journey, join our virtual taster sessions running throughout July.
Our ability to cope with change is a challenge for most. We all handle it differently. For some, the struggle is in the transition, for others the lack of control or perhaps, the unexpectedness of it all.
Today over lunch we shared on coping with shifting goalposts: how did we feel when lockdown was extended? How did we react and how were we supporting others, feeling the same?
Holding both family and friends during a time of crisis – whilst navigating it yourself – is a steep learning curve. Our shared experiences of living through sudden, unexpected change, gave the following encouragement:
“Make the decision to not give up!”
“Know that you can choose how to react and by doing so, choose what energy to inject into the situation…”
“Understand the importance of role-modelling behaviour in a crisis for our children and it’s impact over the long-term.”
“Take time to pause before responding – there’s power in reflection!”
There’s a great deal of comfort from having regular, touchpoints of conversation and connection during a time of great change and uncertainty. Why not join us every week for a conversation over lunch? Next week’s topic is on letting things slide…!
Join us on zoom- https://zoom.us/j/8044531372 – from 12-1pm every Thursday. The password is LeadChange – all welcome!
In today’s Holding Family conversation, we looked at lockdown through a slightly different lens, focussing on celebrating our wins over the last month.
When so much of our lockdown conversation revolves around the negative and what we can’t, aren’t or able to do, it can be really hard to feel like we’re winning at anything. Taking time out to reflect on the positives of this experience and acknowledging our successes, builds our resilience. Sharing together reminds us we’re not alone and solidarity is a powerful tonic when feeling like all you’re doing, is treading water.
Some of the wins shared today:
“the gift of being present”
“being able to slow down”
“focussing on what we want to do rather than those we need to do…”
“recognising we can be happy and experience joy in the now”
“joy of reciprocity in our community”
“the opportunity to see this time as a reboot”
What are you doing really well? What one thing are you doing daily, that you can celebrate?
Join us again next week – this time our conversation revolves around the possibility of lockdown being extended…How do you feel when the goal posts shift – especially when it’s a shift not of our choosing or control?
We started a new week with our guest speaker Rachel who, inspired by a previous Cup of Calm session on ‘forgiveness’ took us through the topic of ‘beauty’. We were treated to some images of beauty together with the beautiful words from T S Elliot’s Four Quartets which stirred up unique emotions in each of us and conjured up stark visualizations of beauty. Rachel recommended two books which offer extraordinary gifts of beauty on every page:
Who can afford to live without beauty? Beauty fills us with passion; it graces us with joy and lights up our existence. A landscape, a piece of music, a film, a dance … suddenly all dreariness is gone [and] we are left betwitched. Beauty has a formidable, liberating effect on the human spirit. [It] harmonizes the mind. Inevitable Grace – Pier Ferrucci
A world without beauty would be unbearable. The subtle touches of beauty are what enable most people to survive. Yet beauty is so quietly woven through our ordinary days that we hardly notice it. When we experience beauty, we feel called.Divine Beauty – John O’ Donohue
We asked ourselves – what would my life be like with more beauty? And what images of beauty could we offer to each other to sustain each other over the coming week? Slowing down, listening, noticing, peace, beauty from relationships, being present, beauty from loved ones, slow moments and beauty in nature were just some of the gifts we offered one another.
Listen. Put on the morning.
Waken into fallen light.
G. S. Graham
Thank you Rachel for such a beautiful start to our morning! Following on from today’s Cup of Calm, one of our listeners – Antonia – shared this podcast she found extraordinary, in light of John O’ Donohue’s words – we thought you’d might like to take a listen too: https://onbeing.org/programs/john-odonohue-the-inner-landscape-of-beauty-aug2017/
We look forward to seeing you on a Cup of Calm tomorrow. Please join us via: https://zoom.us/j/8044531372 and, if asked, the password is LeadChange. Do invite others – everyone is welcome!
This event is free to join. If you would like to, please donate as you are able – with no obligation and no upper or lower limit. The link to donate is: paypal.me/weleadchange. All profits will go towards supporting our community of freelancers, small business owners and independents during this time. We suggest the price of a cup of coffee – £2.50 per day or £40 per month.
