Last week was filled with positive events I’m keen to celebrate here for posterity and simply to keep me (and you, my dedicated reader!) smiling.
As I try to post these blogs every Wednesday with a #WellnessWednesday theme and because the latter end of last week was a little bit miserable emotionally (we all have those moments, don’t we), I’m keen to give myself a motivational boost with this power post.
I’d encourage you to do the same when you’re feeling low. Particularly because thinking about positive things is the absolute opposite of what we generally do when we feel negative.
Feeling blue? Focus on more of what is making you down. Feeling tired? Focus on how tired you are. Tell everyone how tired you are. Think about your bed all day long.
Sounds silly when you see that written down, huh? So why do so many of us continue to act this way?!
Well, for me, as much as I sought to challenge my mindset last week, it felt impossible to escape my cycle of sadness.
It could’ve been because every time I wanted to remove myself from the funk, I received some bad news or another negative thing happened. All minor, mostly inconsequential problems, but cumulatively they had a weightier effect than they may have otherwise have had on their own.
And, on reflection I can see that there was more good in last week than bad, so I guess that’s why I am writing this and that’s why I write each week/month/year – to reflect, to encourage – and sometimes the encouragement and inspiration is for myself just as much as it is for my readers!
So here’s my affirmation from Monday that I’m carrying through the rest of the week:
Today, I am determined to be happy, smile and laugh, and let my feelings follow my face.
– Abigail Irozuru, Monday Motivation
If you need a happiness boost, feel free to borrow the affirmation too!
So in the vein of writing five things you’re grateful for to put a smile on your face, here are my top five highlights from last week…
Competition in Finland
I finished 2nd with 6.52m. A rather challenging, sub-par series, but as a friend recently said, ‘If you’d fouled a few times or jumped a few bad jumps in an Olympic final, but pulled out just one big one in your series to win, you wouldn’t care about the series would you?’ He’s right. Thanks, for the perspective, friend!
Related Blog: More about my competition.
Unique Ladies’ Online Networking Event
When I agreed to this meeting, I imagined I’d be participating from the comfort of my hotel room before travelling back home post-competition to Manchester. Unfortunately, I’d not taken into account the 2-hour travel from Turku to Helsinki airport and ended up being a part of this Zoom event on a coach to the airport. There were moments where I disconnected and I missed the last 20 minutes or so due to a completely dropped signal, but for what I did attend, I loved. It was a welcome reminder of the importance of positive, inspiring and encouraging networks to bounce ideas off, have honest and vulnerable conversations and build together. I’d recommend a group like this for everyone!
Client Victories, Debrief and Planning
A big smile lifted across my face as I read an email from one of my clients last week. She wanted to schedule a call to debrief from the last few weeks of work and brainstorm ahead of a potentially game-changing meeting next week. The call was another inspiring and uplifting one – to celebrate her progress in her business and with newly-formed partnerships, the positive impact her research project was already having on informing and reforming the culture of a struggling, unhappy organisation and most importantly, a reminder to remain focused on her task to the exclusion of all others for now – to learn how to say no or to ensure that any additional projects align with the overall vision and purpose of her organisation.
This conversation was a reminder for me to do the same and also highlighted the importance of coaching and consulting to support development in all areas of life where you desire success.
UCL Class of 2020 Graduation and Welcome to UCL Alumni
Last week, I joined Kisum Chan, Maryam Moshiri, June Angelides, Steph McGovern, Jeremy Bowen, Professor Lucie Green, Nadhim Zahawi MP, Nicola Brentnall MVO, Isa Guha, Tunde Banjoko OBE, Chantal Rickards and Phillipa Leighton-Jones to congratulate the UCL Class of 2020 for graduating and to welcome them to our wonderful UCL Alumni community! It was honestly an honour just to be in amongst such names and one that gave me a big confidence boost and heart of gratitude for my blessings and the opportunities I’ve received as a result of my athletics’ career – one that I almost completely gave up on. I’m thankful I returned to the sand pit, that’s for sure…
Watch the graduation video here.
British Athletics #JoinTheJourney Athlete Stories
In the midst of an incredibly tough year for us all, here’s another thing to celebrate – the opportunity to compete again. Not in front of a home crowd as I’d first imagined I’d be doing at the start of the year, but at least in a home stadium – at Manchester Regional Arena, SportCity. And right now, I’m counting my blessings and celebrating this because it’s in these acts of gratitude that I find my smile.
I hope you can list at least five of the victories and positive moments you’ve experienced in the past week, month or year and I hope that when you do, your memories make you smile too.
Blessings,
Abs xx
