I caught myself feeling fearful last night as I pondered on an uncontrollable and unknown future. I turned to one of my most favourite tools to create a change in my state of mind;

Hope.

Hope is a way of thinking (hope is not an emotion). It is a way of thinking that can help us move out of the paralysis or the rumination of fear. It can help us either feel that we have control or give us a way that we can take control.

Once you find your simple straplines, see how they determine your understanding, predictions, and choices. Look to see…

We look at the world through patterns and templates in an attempt to understand our complex environment: This leads to that; This means that; This looks like that.

When starlings are in a murmur, they look only at the seven birds within their immediate range of sight. By doing so they create their seemingly magical flowing shapes with ease. In the tiniest of moments, a message is hurtled throughout the whole flock and together the whole is created.

When I went to our local soccer team to register my son’s interest, it dawned on me that unconsciously I had not done the same for my two older girls. This was a pretty shocking realisation.

When fear becomes the loudest guest in our heads, it can work against us in the most destructive ways. The solution we chose to appease our internal fears varies.

Top tips and questions for you to move in chaos

If we cannot create self-safety for ourselves, we get triggered when our environment doesn't fit our needs. With an ever-changing environment, this makes for a lot of triggering!

I created these last week.

My teacher, artist Susie Raz has the most fascinating technique to help get us 'out of self-critic. She set up a bouquet and asked us to paint them twice, at the same time; yup at the same time!

How can we trust what people are saying is really from their voice? How can we trust that the things we read are sent with as much thought as we did before? What human-centered corners are likely to be cut in the increased efficiency we gain from AI?

I've been wearing a lot of sequins recently.
I think it is my age and I'm OK with that.
I feel I'm getting braver in the 'right' places as I get older.

End.

I could go on, but really, that's it.

It is not lack of skills that stops people, it's fear

Psychological safety is the known essential ingredient in any high-performing team we know.

When you identify a regular trigger for a hot brain, create your own alcohol wipe mantra.

Do not wait to feel courageous.

Beating yourself up about thing you can’t control is unproductive regret

The key to managing stress is in recognising when you are stressed, understanding your stress triggers and allowing yourself space to respond to the stress.

When we recognise that we are not our fears, we can take the best of fear and move forward.