With everything that has happened to you, you can feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”  –  Wayne Dyer

Following on from the trauma of last month, these intervening weeks have been an opportunity to learn and grow. It has been frustrating at times, not being able to move about much, but it has enabled me to take the opportunity to understand myself more deeply.

This week I had my first 20 minute walk in almost 5 weeks, it was positively uplifting. I had decided to take my dog Seren for a short walk in the woods, and it was glorious. There was no one else around, the robins and chiffchaffs were in full song with the distant call of a buzzard adding to the joy of being moving again. My leg ached afterwards, but I feel like I have been given a soothing lift.

So, what have I learned and how can I take these learnings into the future? Patience with myself is probably the biggest lesson, quickly followed by a deeper connection with the things around me. For years now I have had a daily routine where I spend time in nature early each morning which helps me set myself up for the day. I then engage with my work, take a short walk at lunchtime, continue my work in the afternoon and then spend time winding down at the end of the day before cooking dinner. If for any reason I am unable to do this I notice the difference in my sense of balance.

However, I now realise that during the day I was so focused on my work that I missed some of the subtleties and nuances of the world around me. I have spent time in the last few weeks watching our roof being rethatched; during this time, I have been struck by the effortlessness with which the thatcher approaches his work. He has a natural rhythm of ease and knowing as he removes the old thatch and replaces it with the new golden straw. Even the odd wasp sting doesn’t seem to derail him. Spending time observing this approach has led me to question how I can bring more joy and ease into the non-client facing aspects of my days.

Rather than seeing the admin as a chore I have noticed that as I change my approach to it, I can see it in its rightful place as an important part of the whole. I no longer see it as a chore that ‘must’ be done, but as a part of the flow of my work. This is a pertinent reminder that by changing our attitude to things they almost magically change. Placing ease at the heart of our lives enables all aspects to play their part and for the flow to permeate throughout our lives.

Change our attitudes and the world around us appears to change for the better. It is these simple things that can easily be overlooked however, they truly are the difference that makes the difference.