The airline stewardess was doing her very best to quell the rising disquiet in the anxious gaggle of people who had just been told their flight was cancelled and now wanted to know if they had been allocated seats on the next aircraft to their desired destination.
Quietly and patiently, she attempted to allay their fears of being left behind, of missed weddings and lost days of holiday, and those who believed their needs were greater than their fellow passengers raised their voices to be heard.
One man, clearly frustrated by the process, pushed to the front of the line, demanding he be given a seat on the next flight.
Uttering the memorable line used by those in perceived positions of privilege, he proclaimed,
“Don’t you know who I am?”
Unfazed, the stewardess picked up the tannoy and made an announcement.
“There’s a gentleman here, who doesn’t know who he is, can anyone assist?”
Knowing who you are matters.
It matters for what you stand for and what you believe in.
When you know who you are, you can speak from the heart, you can influence and inspire others. It provides you with purpose.
But staying true to who you are can be tricky.
Life demands so much from us.
Expectations, societal norms and cultural influences frequently dictate what we do.
Unless you regularly tap into your “who you are”, we can start to lose sight of ourselves which can lead to overwhelm, frustration and stress.
Which is why part of the nature prescription I recommend, beyond a daily 20-minute immersion, includes a quarterly getaway. This is a long weekend where you leave your usual world behind and head off into nature.
This could be a farm stay or country stay, or a hike, or a cabin by the beach where green and or blue space is readily accessible.
You might prefer to be on your own, with your partner, or a couple of friends.
Fundamentally, those few days of pattern interrupt enable you to reconnect with the headspace you need to reflect and consider how you’re tracking in work and life.
We’ve just returned from a 5-day interlude in the SW of West Australia, revisiting some of our favourite spots and discovering some new.
No WIFI.
No Internet.
Just us with our camping gear in the middle of nowhere.
Surrounded by magnificent stands of Karri, Jarrah and Tuart, we listened to birdsong, quacking frogs (my husband was convinced they were ducks), spotted Carnaby parrots, emu and kangaroos. We enjoyed long walks through the bush, took dips in clear lakes and brown rivers, marvelled at the majesty of the magnificent Southern Ocean and shared wonderful conversations around the campfire at night under a mostly starry sky.
We had sunshine and rain. Gentle breezes and gusts of wind. Thunder and lightning. Nature put on the full floor show for us to enjoy.
It was sheer bliss.
Coming home, I was reluctant to start up the computer again.
The news was just as miserable as when we had left.
But those few days away revitalised and reminded me why I believe so strongly in the power of nature to reduce stress, to reconnect us to the world at large and importantly, to know who I am and my mission in life.
My question to you is,
Just come home from a few days on a beautiful property in Kendenup, south WA anongst the trees and birds and numerous
Domesticated animals grazing on the green pastures recently rained upon, with friends of long ago. Bliss.