Are we fearless behind the lion or should we be in front of the lion ready to fight head on? I have never been the one in front ready to fight as I have always believed in taking time. knowing ones surroundings and being conscious of the intent of the mind before I take action in a difficult situation. Along with how my actions may fit with my values. For me it has always been how I handle myself and not necessarily the outcome.
In my opinion being fearless also requires being comfortable with ones identity in all aspects of life. Along with knowing that identity should be related to values and then understanding the true intent of the mind.
As Marwa Rakha states - Human beings have three dimensions; how you see yourself, how others see you and how you want others to see you. The closer the distance between the three dimensions of identity, the more at peace you are and the more stable you become'.
So how does my short ramble about fearlessness, identity, values and intent relate to anything? Well, so many of my Wellington friends are losing their jobs at the moment. Many in the mid tier level positions. All hold higher degrees and many have high mortgages. Last I heard in the news was that 6000 jobs will go and that is a lot of people out of work. It was a year ago that many SMEs felt the pressure of the restriction of the economy. So I am not surprised that the government sector and large corporates are now tackling these issues. And to top it off companies like the Body Shop went into liquidation and Trade Aid is closing all their brick and mortar stores. And Allbirds valuation is down from 4 billion to 200,000 million.
So with the likely hood of many people being out of work, how does this effect ones identity and can one find their 'fearlessness' to move to the next step in life? Do we associate our identity with our work? The books will say we should not but I think many people do and it is not surprising considering how much time we spend at work. But maybe we all need to look at the Japanese philosophical term Ikiga. which essentially says one should connect the values, what you are good at, what brings you joy, with making a living.
I do believe there is always a positive in everything but we have to also be real, reflective and ready for change which could mean disassociating oneself with the old identity to something new and exciting but one will need to find ones 'fearlessness'. To my friends who have lost their jobs - hang in there and maybe it is time to look at 'identity and values'.
I will be writing another message at the end of the month to talk about our REBRAND. YES how exciting. A REFRESH..
Signage goes up at end of the month and our official opening is 1 May with brand launch night mid May.
Below is a pic of the latest climate change march whereby I accompanied my 14 year old and his friends. So love all his passion and drive for change. Love young people! Feeling so grateful to have three beautiful boys.
Anna Mills x
PS I hope this post is not too preachy as personally I get annoyed at those that preach and prefer to hear stories without judgement etc. Apologies if so.
PSS The photo above was taken sometime ago in Zimbabwe when we trekked lions, I was young and fearless with a strong deep hope for the goodness in the future. You can tell the era by the style of the sun glasses. Lol.
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