by Gundula Welti
07 Apr 2020
Regrets
“Shall we go to Deauville to watch the sun rise?” This was a question my husband asked about 25 years ago at 2 am after we’d been out for the evening. In the end, the call of a comfy bed and a good night’s sleep won out. Pity.
Today, I wonder how many experiences I’ve let slip through my fingers, those crazy moments – both big and small – just to be “sensible”, or at least that’s how I saw it.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve learnt to make the most of the laughs in life, to say yes to a silly idea, to let myself get dragged off to somewhere I wasn’t expecting to go or make a fool of myself by dunking my head in a trough, just because the water was so deliciously cold!
It’s raining and my hair’s gone all frizzy. So what? Someone might disapprove and shake their head? That’s their problem! I’ve got loads to do at home? It’ll still be there at the weekend.
Carpe Diem! What crazy things have you put off doing just to be sensible?
by Gundula Welti
07 Apr 2020
The parable of the old man and the hammer
An important piece of machinery in a factory breaks down. Several specialists try to repair it without success. An elderly repairman is called in. He walks around the machine, taps it in places, gets a hammer out of his toolbox and whacks it in a specific spot. The machine starts working again and the man with the hammer is congratulated.
Purchasing receives an invoice for €5,000. Stunned, they ask the repairman to send a detailed breakdown. This is what he sends them:
1. Hammer blow = €2
2. Knowing where to hit = €4,998
A trainer asked us how much we would be prepared to spend to get our sight back if we went blind. Health has no price, of course. But it’s an interesting question because often we don’t really appreciate everything we have available to us on a daily basis.
What if you made a list of the things that are at your disposal, that you are really grateful for?
by Gundula Welti
07 Apr 2020
Summer reading
When I’m having breakfast on holiday, I read the little comments on INNOCENT smoothies: “Shake before opening, not after.” “Eat broccoli” and “Only contains fruit, no E thingies.”
Others are more factual or technical: INNOCENT take a few liberties and make you smile. I love it. They’ve really caught my imagination and now I’m a loyal customer.
It’s not that difficult to make someone smile or feel good. All it takes is a little joke or a bit of kindness above and beyond what is normally expected. Checking in online rather than queueing at the airport is the norm for us these days. Scanning your purchases at the supermarket yourself, calling UBER for a ride or using a city bike are often ideas that come from some little comment that has caught someone’s imagination.
What brilliant idea for something that’s above and beyond the norm is just waiting to come out of your brain?
by Gundula Welti
07 Apr 2020
My world
“It’s lovely weather here!” says Jean enthusiastically on the phone. When pushed for more information, we discover that actually it’s drizzling, as is often the case in the Basque country, the temperature has dropped and it’s cold in the house.
We smile to ourselves because we’d like it to be warmer and sunnier in Paris too.
The Talmud teaches us: “You don’t see the world as it is, you see it as you are”.
I’m often surprised to discover that someone has an opinion that is diametrically opposed to mine or a different perception of the same phenomena. I’m so convinced that I’m “right”.
Our lives, our experiences, our environment and our education all influence who we are today and our perspective on the world.
And what if the really important thing was just to listen to other people to understand their perspective? After all, we see the world as we are!
by Gundula Welti
07 Apr 2020
Amplifiers
I recently had the pleasure of trying out Horse Coaching, which is a bit like being a horse whisperer (female version!). Although I’m already a horse rider, I didn’t really know quite what to expect.
Basically, without giving too much away for those who might want to give it a go: if you’re irritated, your horse will be too. If you are unsure of what you’re asking your horse, he will be too. If you know exactly what you want, your horse will follow you.
Horses actually amplify and shine a light on what you believe inside.
But you don’t need a four-legged friend to do the job for you: go out for a run when you feel irritated! It’s highly likely that you’ll feel much more cheerful after the first mile or two. during the first few miles your heart will be racing.
Amplifiers are everywhere in our lives: family, sports, animals, even our work colleagues. How do you measure where you are in life?