Hello 2022… What Are We Going To Do With You By Julie Cross

Hello and welcome back to another year, and already I see the communication on social media platforms, I hear it in conversations, in fact, I hear it in my own head… 2022, what are we going to do with you, you are not starting the way we all wanted and wished for!

After such a challenging couple of years we wanted it to be different, we wanted to believe that we had been through the worst of it to get to the best of it, we wanted to believe that things around this pandemic would be less stressful, governments would be more organised, and we would be back to ‘some kind of normal’. And then surprise… have you met Omicron? Well, here she is, and she is going to create a lot more chaos… and so it is.

But, come on, what are we going to do? Just keep talking about how bad it all is? No… I suggest that we should do what we know how to do, and that is keep going, we are going to remember that we are stronger than we think, we are going to reconnect with that inner spirit that kept us getting up when we were learning to walk, because we may stumble and fall, and life may pull the rug out from us, but we know that we just don’t sit there, we know how to dance on a shifting carpet and we know that every time we get up we are stronger, we get better, and we learn new skills that will contribute to a strong foundation that we will scaffold from to reach new heights both personally and professionally!

Yes, no waiting for the pandemic to ping off, covid to clear, delta to disappear, omicron to be gone… we are going to muscle up and make the most of the moments we have, finding lightness and laughter in the mess and mayhem and deciding the time in ‘NOW’ to live our best life… doing the best we can with the gift of the time we have on this wonderful planet of ours.

There is a lot of fear in our community at the moment, and understandably so, but we don’t have to let that fear immobilise us, but instead inspire us. Inspire us to take the stage and give our best in every interaction with every client and with every team member knowing that is how we can make a difference in this crazy covid world. Yes, let us remember and know for sure that we can add value to people’s lives with the work we do… one person at a time. You could lead your team members through a daily gratitude treasure hunt to lift their spirits and shake any negative talk and energy. Have everybody share every morning three things they are grateful for, and then anytime your clients lead you into heavy and negative covid conversations, redirect them into talking about the services you offer, give them a compliment or invite them to talk about what they are grateful for. Your clients will go out, not only have the benefit of your services, but also feeling lighter and happier and that becomes part of the ‘incredible service’ they will talk about. Because they left you not just looking better but feeling better too… and the world needs that right now.

So welcome 2022, I am grateful I got to wake up into a brandnew year, what a gift. A gift of another 365 days, a gift I get to unwrap one day at a time. And as we do the unwrapping there may be gifts that feel a little more like the booby prize and gifts we want a refund on, and other gifts… well we really have nowhere to put them or no use for them… but then there will be gifts that will make us laugh, bring such joy and add so much value to our lives… so we will take the good with the bad, because ultimately the gift is just being here to do the unwrapping, one moment at a time.

We are all in this together, and I am so excited to be doing this year with you all again. Thanks for all that you do and the people whose lives you add value to every day as you open your doors and make the world more beautiful one person at a time. Please know for sure you do make a difference, and don’t play small on that, and I am grateful for all of you!

Let’s grab this year with open arms and give it the respect it deserves… looking forward to sharing, caring, loving, laughing, sparkling and inspiring with you all this year!