Clothes as a shield

And when I need that one thing I know I can control

This is going to be a difficult piece. A personal one. This year has truly put me on trial in my professional life, in ways that I did not expect, did not ask for and certainly did not enjoy. And as Xue has recently put it so beautifully in her ode to joy and her reflections upon turning 40 - something a mentor of hers suggested:

“What would it look like if you made decisions from a place of joy?”

So, I imagine I have a wise and generous mentor of my own who asks me that very same question. What if I took a decision about such a vital part of my life - my work - from a place of joy? Oh, and don’t be fulled, as I do try to practice conscientiousness on a daily, if not hourly basis - finding joy, mindfulness and presence in simple activities, such as:

• making and drinking a warm cup of my favorite oat latte

• watering plants in my office

• tidying up my desk

• saying something nice to a colleague

• minimizing my Inbox to less than 1 page (i.e. until the scroll bar disappears)

• chatting with our cantine p…