Bid for freedom

Over the last couple of weeks I've been interviewing dozens of people for the new book: 'Live Life. Love Work.' All,,without exception, have stated the need for space in their lives. However content and motivated with work, they still need gaps to refresh and re-generate in whatever form that takes.

Underneath the most succesful career, there's still a human being that craves personal freedom. Without that space to breathe, I believe that our lives are not sustainable.

Monday morning

When things are all darting around in my head, if I can take 30 minutes to walk in the woods, they shape up in new ways. How fortunate am I to have a small lake and woodland just around the corner from my home. So in minutes, I can shift from this tapping into my laptop to feeling the soft, peaty forest floor creeping into my walking shoes. There's a timeless quality at the lake which reminds me that I'll be long gone when others are striding out on those paths.

On Monday mornings, with things to do and places to go, it's easy to forget this. Now I go back to work from a contented place.

Reverting to type

It's been a few weeks since my standing and staring has arrived on the page. The hollyhocks I nurtured were once all shades of ruby and peachy pink. They've gone all white now, in strong contrast to the Stipa Gigantea.

Under pressure, I too revert to type. Once calm and collected, next anxious and snappy. Sorry folks. I like humans to join harmoniously, form connections and have fun - rather like my plants do.