A very special person in my life sent me this beautiful image you can see below this week. It means a lot. We are all made from our experience, positive and negative, and that’s what makes us who we are, explains our motivations, our triggers and responses to what happens around us daily, hourly, momentarily. Our resulting feelings and actions ensue, and we either take hold of them, taking the time to reflect and understand who we are, or we ignore them and bury them as they’re too uncomfortable. 
It’s time this week to reflect and be honest with ourselves. As we come out of lockdown to the next level, we’ll be able to hug again, to meet friends and family indoors and celebrate with a coffee or something stronger. We are coming out of our enforced hiding and will again be ‘on show’ to the outside world. To some, that’s a pretty daunting prospect. To others it will happen comfortably. Either way, feelings will happen, without a doubt. Give yourself some time and space to reflect on those feelings. You don’t have to be The One Who Lost 3 stone in lockdown. You don’t have to be The One Who Discovered Cycling in lockdown. You don’t have to be The One Who Baked The Bread in lockdown. You just need to be yourself. That’s who your friends and loved ones want to see and hug again. You can pick up on your relationships with your loved ones from right here, where you are today, without shame, or disappointment in yourself. In my talk to some Year 9s at a school this week, I asked them to tell me something they’ve achieved in their lives to date. There were all sorts of wonderful responses: being made Captain of the sports team, being voted Deputy Head Boy, being asked to represent the School in a competition etc – well worth celebrating, all of them. On lad, however, quietly told me he had survived a global pandemic. We could all recognise that response and the hearty applause went up. And, whilst being sensitive and mindful of those who weren’t so lucky, we can all be proud of that. You are enough. And a work of art. Enjoy the coming new freedoms with care and love. And hugs, lots of hugs.
It’s time this week to reflect and be honest with ourselves. As we come out of lockdown to the next level, we’ll be able to hug again, to meet friends and family indoors and celebrate with a coffee or something stronger. We are coming out of our enforced hiding and will again be ‘on show’ to the outside world. To some, that’s a pretty daunting prospect. To others it will happen comfortably. Either way, feelings will happen, without a doubt. Give yourself some time and space to reflect on those feelings. You don’t have to be The One Who Lost 3 stone in lockdown. You don’t have to be The One Who Discovered Cycling in lockdown. You don’t have to be The One Who Baked The Bread in lockdown. You just need to be yourself. That’s who your friends and loved ones want to see and hug again. You can pick up on your relationships with your loved ones from right here, where you are today, without shame, or disappointment in yourself. In my talk to some Year 9s at a school this week, I asked them to tell me something they’ve achieved in their lives to date. There were all sorts of wonderful responses: being made Captain of the sports team, being voted Deputy Head Boy, being asked to represent the School in a competition etc – well worth celebrating, all of them. On lad, however, quietly told me he had survived a global pandemic. We could all recognise that response and the hearty applause went up. And, whilst being sensitive and mindful of those who weren’t so lucky, we can all be proud of that. You are enough. And a work of art. Enjoy the coming new freedoms with care and love. And hugs, lots of hugs.