Day #677 - Stories

Chapters and Books

It suddenly feels like the end of the year is drawing near: as I cycled out this morning, I saw Christmas trees in lots of windows, and passed a giant snowman who had toppled over in the storms (don’t worry, he was ok, just a little shaken up).

As well as the artefacts of Christmas, the stories have been flowing too: I’ve been hearing from lots of people, prompted I think by the end of the year, just checking in and sharing their news. It’s a lovely thing, and always a reminder that our relationships are strongest when we nurture them.

This community is a community in dialogue with our practice: the tempo of our reflection is every single day (if only for sixty seconds). But the chapters of our change are also held on longer timeframes: how have you grown this month, this year?

I have found this year to be quite challenging: a combination of young children, a chaotic commercial environment, and trying to keep a real focus on the doctorate. I knew that in some ways this would be a pause, a chapter marker in itself.

We still have some way to go, but use your sixty seconds today to consider this: what would be the title of your book for this year?

Is it “Running up the hill”, or “Cruising to victory”? Are you “Lost in the mountains” or enjoying “Times with Friends”? Are you “Finding balance” or “Holding on”? Would 2024 be just one book, or a whole shelf of them, depending on the day? And do you know what book the people in your team have been writing this year?

How would you know?