The View From Above
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Once in a while, it’s important to look up.
Breathe.
The stoics believed in taking a look at our worlds from above. It can be humbling, bring us gratitude.
“Think of substance in its entirety, of which you have the smallest of shares; and of time in its entirety, of which a brief and momentary span has been assigned to you; and of the works of destiny, and how very small is your part in them.”
Marcus Aurelius
The Stamp team are a week from our end-of-year review. Last year we went to the Isle Of Wight. A challenging but ultimately successful year later, we will be more low-key this winter. Some of the Team has changed, but we have finished the year strong with a healthy profit posted for 2022 and potential for a stronger 2023.
We are aware many businesses had to pull stumps this year. Some of our friends have fought hard to stay afloat, and many freelancers have struggled with reduced spend on commercials by brands compounded by the strikes in Hollywood as the epicentre creating seismic waves this side of the Atlantic.
It can help with your mental health to do this for yourself too. In his best-selling book The Chimp Paradox, Professor Steve Peters describes a seven step blueprint for dealing with stress. Step four, he calls The Helicopter and getting perspective.
Perspective is possibly the most important factor in coming to terms with any stressful situation. It is certainly one we should be putting to work right now to confront the uncertainty, doubt, and undoubted stressors caused by COVID and confinement.
He puts it like this:
Imagine you have climbed into a helicopter that has taken off and is now hovering about the situation.
You can now look down and get some perspective on what is happening. Imagine your whole life as a timeline from start to finish and see where you are at this particular point in time.
Ask yourself, “How important is this situation to the rest of my life?” “What are the really important things in my life, and is this one of them, or has it changed them?”
Remind yourself that everything in life will pass.
You will soon look back on this moment as a distant memory. Very little in life is important in the long run.
So, we will take a breath next week. Be grateful for our wins, learn from our losses and get ready to move into 2024 with vigour.
