I wrote a post back at the start of the pandemic about what’s most important. This is an excerpt from it:
‘As is becoming increasingly common, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was a voice of calm at the time as coronavirus laid waste to sporting fixtures across the world. The German delivered a dose of perspective.’
The comment seems just as poignant as I witnessed the events unfold on TV on Saturday. Denmark star Cristian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch in the closing stages of the first half at the Parken Stadium and required CPR, with the game being suspended.
I was glued like millions of others worldwide to the events that unfolded, my mouth dry, lump in my throat, and hands clenched, praying for Christian to pull through – as I am writing this, my eyes are welling up.
The eyes of the world were on the amazing medical “Heroes” who undoubtedly saved his life.
The Danish FA tweeted to say that Eriksen is awake and in a stable condition in hospital. He will now undergo further examinations.
As the match was suspended, the BBC referred back to Gary Lineker and the pundit team for their comment; Alex Scott especially was visibly shaken by what she witnessed and said, “I have just text my mum to tell her I love her”. How many of us – a fair amount, I would guess. Had the same feelings and attention as Alex. I must admit that I was thinking about my two children, Amy & Joe, and my four beautiful grandchildren. Who were you thinking of? Who will you be a hero for?
When you strip away everything, the important corporate job, the must-have latest gadget, tv or phone, the new car sitting outside costing you more money in monthly payments than the pay-off in street cred with friends and work colleagues all pall into insignificance compared to life.
It’s about what you want to be remembered for? What legacy do you want to leave behind? I haven’t had one client say to me, “It will be an Audi or BMW or those fab Manolo Blahniks in the bottom of the wardrobe that did it for me!
No, it will be what I like to call those ‘magic moments’, those moments and experiences that made you feel alive, connected and valued with the people you love.
Maybe it was the bbq on the beach with your friends sitting around a fire, talking, laughing and having fun. Maybe, it was that unforgettable holiday or watching your children grow up, get married and have children of their own. These are the magic moments you will remember when your life comes to pass. Not a car or a pair of shoes!
The most important things in life you can’t go down to the shop and buy. It’s about our values and the beliefs we have in them that are important, what they mean to us and how we live in alignment with them.
I want you to take your time to write down your top five values that are important to you. Don’t look up what values are and cherry-pick the one’s you ‘think’ you are. Our values show up in who we are in our daily lives, so ask family, friends and work colleagues what they like about you? How you show up for them.
And over the next four weeks, I want you to observe and make note if you are living in alignment with them. In addition, I want you to be aware when you have an upset about something, what flags up for you? What are you feeling and thinking? You can email me your results. I would love to see them.
When we experience an upset, one of our core (top five) values are out of alignment with who we are. Usually, it’s the mirror opposite of who we want to be. For example, you may have top values around “honesty and trust” chances are when you come into contact with someone who you sense is “dishonest and untrustworthy.” It’s like a red flag to a bull. It leaves a bad taste.
When we live in alignment with our values of who we are and who we want to be, we walk tall, we show up, and people take notice. Unfortunately, as human beings, we all feed off each other, good and bad. So, make sure you surround yourself with people you want to be like, who you aspire to and trust. And don’t give too much time to the ones who drain and suck your energy.
What do you want the next chapter of your life to be? More cars and shoes? Or, are you at the stage of your life where you are searching for something more but don’t know what more looks like or where to start looking for it.
Ask any football manager, and he/she would advocate that planning is vital not only for the next match but the following seasons, and the same goes for reinventing the next chapter of your life. So how are you planning for it? That’s where I come in; maybe I can help you discover what more looks like for you and, more importantly, where to start looking for it.
And, the final whistle of the match yesterday goes to the newspaper headline:
Is this helpful, and can others use it? I bet you know a lot of like-minded people that would benefit from this conversation. Please share this post with them on social media.
Book a 30-minute free call with me to see how I can help and support you. If all this call did was inspire you into action would it be worth it?
