I hope you’ll forgive my self-indulgence this month, but I'm still dealing with the holiday blues.
This summer, I had one of those all too rare experiences, where I felt that for one glorious week, my family and I existed in a small, perfect bubble. It was just us, protected from the outside world, and it's one of those things that's hard to say goodbye to.
So let me introduce you to The Gervers.
Clockwise from yours truly at the front, are my daughter’s partner, my daughter, my wife, my son and his partner (and of course there was our dog, Martha, but she was snoozing under the table!). They are wonderful people, each of them.
This was our first holiday as a six and we spent a week together in Cornwall, truly one of the most beautiful places in England.
Maybe it was because of the pandemic, but my wife and I have been reflecting on how the simplest of things suddenly seem incredibly remarkable.
Everything from spending evenings playing cards, walking on the cliffs or just eating an ice cream at the beach.
What was really special though, was spending time together. All of us just chatting and laughing, enjoying each other’s company. The restorative power of being, with no agenda, no timetable, no plans, nor distractions. Nothing moments.
It has really underlined to me just how much we need to find a way to replicate that peace more often in our daily lives and also in our workplaces too.
In this modern world, we're programmed to be busy, to be doing, to be being productive and all too easily we forget how valuable and healing those nothing moments can be, especially when we're stressed or overwhelmed.
I think we'd all benefit from building in more time, both in our personal and professional lives, to do nothing. Time to reflect, sit, maybe journal and just take off the pressure of 'doing'. I think it would have a huge impact.
