Today I turn 50 years old! I’m delighted, grateful, forgetful and creaky. But as I reflect on the 1st 50 years of my life, I realise that I have acquired some wisdom and knowledge – or at least things that stand me in good stead. Clearly most of this ‘wisdom’ is entirely not useful – but I do know how to get biro off a jumper (hairspray) and how to bake a fairly fab lemon sponge.
Some of it, however, I thought I would share with you. These are things that I have lived by or that have helped me in good times and bad. Some relate to business proper, but like all things business, they actually all relate to us humans and our rambling, complex trundle through life.
So here goes - I hope that they might help or resonate:
What's meant for you, won't pass you by
A saying that I learned only about 15 years ago from a friend (from her Welsh granny actually), it has helped me not to panic so much and to trust that somehow things will work out. It's like a big deep breath of a sentence.
Live to learn
Live to learn was something my Grandma always said to me. It's been a lifelong habit that suits my very curious nature - to learn every day. Sometimes it's something random and pointless, sometimes it's something about me and how I operate in the world, but it's always a gift.
It's always, always about the relationship
Relationships are everything to us all in all areas of our lives. It's our relationships with loved ones yes, but also our customers, our communities, our peers. Whenever life or business is tough, I always turn to the relationships in that space to see what I can do to communicate better, listen better, learn more, engage better and so on.
Hope is one of life's most potent forces
Often portrayed as nothing more than a whim, actually hope is vital. If there's someone you know who has lost it, we can hold it for them until they're ready for hope again.
Treat yourself and your business like nature
Everything is cyclical, just like in nature. Nature blooms, grows seeds, sheds seeds, goes fallow but it's always moving even if you can't see it. We can be gentle on ourselves to accept fallow times, set seed that may not come up just yet, rest after we have bloomed and take our time.
Busyness doesn't make good business
Busyness doesn't make good business, something I learned many years ago, through my own mistakes - that I still make regularly I might add! The slower you go, the more you will get done but the more you will also see and hear and learn. Feeling frantic? It's time to stop and go down a couple of gears.
Breathing matters
Haha! Well yes. But seriously, how we breath makes all the difference to how we digest, think, solve problems, sleep, imagine and innovate.
'All is well'
My favourite Louise Hay quote of all time. It's written all over my house and office! It's not that I need it all the time because life is always bad, but more that it reminds me that in this moment, all is actually well. A great comfort for a micro business owner making decisions on their own.
Back yourself always
It's taken me far too many decades to do this more fully. I am still learning but it's a goodie none the less.
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