Over the last month I have travelled around New Zealand meeting with our teams discussing Personal purpose and how it fits with our corporate Purpose of "Helping Make Your World a Safer Place". It was a catalyst for me to reflect on my own purpose and what really drives me to do what I do. I realise that the signature trait from early on in my career has been my desire to help others adapt and grow to changing circumstances. My energy and drive fuels my own personal resilience when times get tough. This started in my time as an Occupational Therapist, when I worked in a consultancy practice helping managers work through improving safety in the workplace , as a leader helping teams face the never ending challenges of a fast changing world and when natural disasters occur and I need to lead teams in helping communities recover. In my personal life I love being their for friends and family and see everyone really get joy from their day. When times are difficult it is important I find time to centre and reflect on what really matters. Life brings many curve balls, some of your own doing and others that you could never in your wildest dreams expect would happen. The strength to adapt and recover comes from understanding what truly matters to you. As we reach the end of May I was asked to speak at a conference in New Caledonia. It proved the perfect opportunity to blend some personal time with a very busy professional schedule. Michael and i enjoyed some quiet reflective time together as we fitted in a few walks in a very pretty environment. The walk over the valley was very peaceful and the walk at sunrise and sunset was magical. I am facing June with a positive attitude and value my own inner strength and sense of Purpose.
If you were to summarise your Purpose and what gets you out of bed every morning what would it be?
0 Comments
The last month has seen many demands placed on me professionally and personally. I completed the European leg of of Investor Roadshow being in 5 countries in 5 days . When we are so busy it is easy to lose ourself and the goals we set for ourself. I was walking along tonight with Michael enjoying a relaxing Easter weekend. As we walked over the tram tracks in the Wynyard Quarter of Auckland , into the sunset I reflected on the importance on staying on track no matter how there may be detours along the way. Life , just like photography , is made richer by the shadows and the light. We need to embrace both and weave that into the fabric of our life. Sometimes the shadows can seem overwhelming and not as exciting a the light. However by embracing both we grow and it helps us keep focussed on what we truly value.
We have had a wonderful weekend celebrating our daughter's engagement to her partner ,Matt. They have known each other for many years and started with a solid friendship. They have helped each other celebrate their achievements and navigate through life's challenges. As I reflect on their commitment to each other I have taken the time to think of the value of marriage. Generations ago one reason marriage was important for women was to provide financial security. As independent, strong women we have many opportunities previous generations did not necessarily have. Both Kirsten and I are fortunate enough to be professionally and financially independent. However physical and emotional security is very important to us. It helps us stay strong professional women. A strong marriage and partnership comes from feeling safe and knowing that your emotional needs will be met no matter how crazy and difficult our world becomes. Planning for Kirsten and Matts' wedding is exciting , what is more important is to see the commitment they show to each other which will make sure they can stay committed to the vows they will make to each other next year.
My birthday and wedding anniversary this weekend provided the perfect opportunity to reflect on the power of being present in someones life. When you give or receive a present it is an opportunity not to show how much money you can spend on someone but how you really take time to show you understand the other person and connect with real meaning. It has meant a lot to me that Michael has taken the time to find a paperweight made by my favourite glass artist here in NZ, Peter Raos, More importantly it symbolises a story that has a lot of meaning to Kirsten, Michael and myself. The story of the man walking along the beach throwing back starfish one by one. When questioned he replied that if he can save just one it was worth it. I would like to think that in our life we work hard to make a difference to all those around us. In a world of materialism seeking meaning through really being present in the life of our loved one is the greatest gift of all.
It has been some time since I posted a blog on my site. It forced me to reflect on a topic that is important to me in my personal and professional life. That of commitment and courage. Sometimes you can be so busy that you forget the commitments you have made to yourself and others. For me I work hard not to let others down but it often comes at a cost to myself and the commitments I make to myself. The Christmas break was a good opportunity to reflect on this and to catch up with our wonderful friends and family in Sydney and in Auckland. All around me I observed commitments made to children, passions , goals and partners. It was a proud moment catching up with my sister in law and see first hand the business she has started in Port Kembla - Ambling Home. Mandy is an amazing seamstress and has now followed her passion for recycling and makes the most amazing furnishings and clothes from vintage fabrics. Practising true sustainability. Look her up on Facebook.
I also reflected on the commitment Michael and I make to each other. I am proud of the focus we have on our health ( physically, spiritually and psychologically) and fitness so we can enjoy life, travel and adventures for many years to come. I feel such a strong connection through us having the courage to have the conversations about what is important to us as individuals and as a couple. Sometimes these conversations can be painful and sometimes very uplifting. The one lesson is they cannot be avoided. We must show commitment and courage in order to keep growing and strengthening. The strongest reminder of commitment was the recent announcement of our daughters engagement to Matt. Matt showed great respect for us and discussed his intentions with us before popping the question. They have know each other since junior high school and have shared the journey of growing up into young adults pursuing their dreams. They have helped each other through exciting times and challenging times. All good experience for a life commitment to each other. Although their is much excitement about the wedding and all the planning that goes into a wedding we remain them both it is also about having the courageous conversations about what the marriage means to each of them and what commitments they will make to each other. I am looking forward to 2015 and stay committed to my family, friends , work colleagues and challenges. Most of all I am committed to the growth I will make through chasing my goals. Happy New Year to you. Given it is Fathers Day I decided to write my reflections on the value of good Dads in the lives of their daughters. Although I am not with my Dad today I was lucky enough to have a day with him when he visited Auckland two weeks ago. It was a day where we could explore our city and enjoy each others company. In addition Kirsten is not able to physically be with us to celebrate Fathers Day but we do have lots of quality family time. I know Michael sees his role as her Dad as one of the best factors in his life and enjoys sharing her life through connecting daily. In my view really good father-daughter relationships set girls up for success on so many fronts - at school, in their careers and in personal relationships. A healthy relationship makes a daughter confident with males and also helps them be strong and confident. The relationship a Dad has with their partner sets the bar for a daughter on what they should expect out of a relationship. My Dad set the bar high for all of his daughters, sharing his support and love with us all and as he has got older showing us the power of reflecting and growing through wisdom. He acknowledges he may have not got everything right as he perfects the role a Dad plays with unconditional love. However his expectations of us all has taught us the the role values play in our lives. We are all better people and powerful contributors to our own families and communities due to him. He also constantly pushed for us to challenge ourselves and not give up. Tenacity and perseverance when the going gets tough has made me stronger in every part of my life. Dad never tolerates quitting and this stops us all walking away when success and happiness might be round the corner. Happy Fathers Day to all those Dads out there making a difference in their daughters lives. Enjoy today however you are celebrating.
Earlier this year when I created this website I vowed to slow down throughout the year to ensure I was more effective in every part of my life. Six months into the year I realised how hard it is to keep this commitment when there are so many demands on your time. I found myself at airports , meeting rooms and hotels for work back into the routine of rushing and not really being in the moment, seeing or fully valuing the things or people around me. I pulled myself up and we organised a weeks family holiday for Kirsten, Michael and I to enjoy each others company. We couldn't think of a better place to explore than Japan. A country that is full of paradox . It has a large population centred in a few cities and yet the people are friendly , helpful and calm. Not frenetic like so many other places. It has amazing technological developments and yet you can't easily access the international ATM network. Te idea of family shrines and temples like in the above image allows the family to pray and be in the moment. The picture shows Michael learning the buddhist ritual. We came back from our week away recharged and with much clearer perspective and focus. When you are the most busy and feel like you are being consumed by the business around you this is the time to stop, slow down and focus on the moment. Even if it is only taking 15 minutes for a walk around your local area and forcing yourself to see things around you with new eyes you will find it helps you make sense of the world. Thank you for my loving family for always helping me get back in the moment when I am losing myself in busy-ness
As I upload my images of sunrise at Byron Bay I reflect on groups that see sunrise in a whole different light. The homeless. They sleep in doorways and under bridges (if they are lucky) and then have to move on as the sun comes up and we all get on with our daily life. I am not sure they see such joy in the colours of the sky. This week I will join Lifewise in NZ for the Big Sleepout. An event that encourages senior leaders to sleep rough out in the winter elements and connect with the social services and homeless in Auckland. This year they are raising money for Youth Homelessness. It has prompted a lot of discussion and questions from people about why do it. Firstly, as I reflect on life I realise how lucky I am am that I had a loving family that worked hard for my educational opportunities and I have been able to make the most of opportunities that have come my way. Giving back to communities is important when you have been blessed in this way. However as I reflect on more and more focus on inclusive behaviour in the workplace to ensure minority groups such as female leaders, ethnic groups , people with disabilities are not marginalised in an organisation I am thinking more and more about how this plays out in society. It is hard to see we live in a inclusive society whilst we face a proportion of people who are marginalised for because they do not even have the base need of security and housing covered . I have spoken to quite a few people who are quite judgemental on the matter and yet have not explored the root cause of this issue. I am sure there are different reasons why people are homeless but it is a challenge if you are 12 and have to sleep out . It is hard to get your life back on track. I know Thursday night will be a challenge with a cold night forecast and maybe some rain but for me it is 1 night not a lifetime of not being sure whether I will be warm, dry and safe. It is the least I can do to raise awareness and money to support Lifewise. bigsleepout.org.nz/page/jackijohnsonsfundraisingpage
<iframe src="http://bigsleepout.org.nz/page/jackijohnsonsfundraisingpage/widget"></iframe> I continue to work hard at making sense of what is happening in my personal and professional life. We all become typecast in roles we play and what others want us to be. What I do realise is that by being in the moment and understanding yourself very deeply you can be more valuable to others around you. Last month saw an opportunity to combine work travel with a bon voyage party for my Mum and Dad going on a world adventure before Mums reduced mobility makes it harder. We also caught up with family and very dear friends on the North Coast of NSW whilst we were up at Byron for a conference. Nothing is more grounding than people who really know who you are and expect very little but value having time with you. This alone forces you to be in the moment. Meeting my cousins children and hear what is happening in their life was priceless. The NZI Top Broker conference had fantastic speakers (beside myself:) ) . Colin James resonated with me when he discussed the difference between Critical Thinkers who enable others versus Cynical Thinkers who are the passengers in life. He described them as victims of a closed mind and drown in a culture of complaint. I guess we all know these sort of people that deny and avoid responsibility, abdicate accountability , justify their actions and when it gets too confronting just run away. He emphasised the value of the critical thinker that responds to circumstances and accept the situation and work with others to find solutions. It reminded me of what I had read in Seth Godin's book Tribes. The difference between Thermometers that tell the temperature and whinge versus Thermostats who read the temperature and adapt to the external climate. I continue to work on my own resilience and capability to be the best Thermostat I can be. March has been a month of a heavy workload with lots of travel. Trying to stay true to my commitment to slow down and reflect on where I am and being more in the moment has been harder than I thought. The last night of March saw me sitting at Waiuku in New Zealand with my team exploring what we need to do take ourselves to a new level of performance. I was feeling very blessed as we watched the sun go down, I have a great team that supports each other, their teams and myself. The skill to actively listen to each other is critical and my team are doing this well. Unfortunately it is a rare behaviour when people come under pressure. In my experience it holds so many people and teams back in personal and professional growth.
|
Archives
February 2021
Categories |