The Simple Things

My inspiration for this month’s blog comes from an event that happened on the 5th February 2020. 

So, what was this significant and momentous event that had such an impact on me I hear you ask….

Was it a fantastic client review?

• No, although I am lucky enough to get lovely comments from my clients, it wasn’t a review or a compliment that inspired this month’s blog.

Was it the potential for more business?

• No, it wasn’t a new business opportunity that caused me so much inspiration; although I am lucky enough to be busy with client commitments at the moment, which I’m always very grateful for. 

Was it a lottery win?

• Very sadly, I can categorically confirm it was not a lottery win, otherwise I’d be writing this blog from a sun-bed in the Caribbean! (I say that, but in reality, if I did win the lottery, I would complete all current client commitments before I zipped off anywhere!)

The event that inspired me so much, was very simple. It was also free, and could also have easily gone unnoticed. 

It was daylight….

On the 5th February 2020, I left for my client site at the usual time for a Wednesday, of 7.20am, and for the first time since the clocks went back last Autumn, it was daylight, and better than that, the sky was blue and it was a beautiful bright day. It was cold (it is February in the UK after all!), but it was a really lovely day. I found myself driving to work with a smile. I felt energised and happy. It was a great day with clients. Even the back to back meetings didn’t drain me; my smile remained. When I left the client site at 4.45pm, it was still daylight, the sky was still blue, and it was still lovely and bright. 

As I drove home and the sun gradually went down, I realised how much of a difference weather can have on mood and well-being. I also realised that it is very easy to not recognise the simple things in life; like a bright, sunny day, 

February is the month of love and it’s easy for self-esteem to take-over when we think about the things we love, or would love to have:

• A big house
• A flash car
• A designer hand bag
• A HUGE bouquet of flowers on Valentine’s day...

There’s nothing wrong with desiring nice things and working hard to achieve them. However, we should also be grateful for the simple things in life that allow us to love ourselves, thus creating a solid foundation of self-worth. We should also remember, that some of the best things in life are free:

• Manners
• Politeness
• Positivity 
• Kindness
• Getting lost in a good book
• Enjoying a nice walk
• Being grateful for a bright sky

We can also use the simple (and free!) things in life, as part of our working day. For example, when I’m managing projects and programmes, I’m often asked how I “make people do things” for me. Quite simply, I don’t. What I do, is to make a genuine connection with the project team and the stakeholders, through the use of manners, politeness, gratitude and positivity, and TOGETHER, we achieve a successful outcome.

I’ll leave you with this image I came across on social media recently, on a post that was talking about the power of kindness. I think it’s great advice. #BeKind