Time to take a chill pill

Monday, March 16, 2020
What my grandchildren teach me about enjoying the moment

As a child of the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was exposed to music by all the classic artists of the time—The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond and more. I heard a lot of one particular group—The Eagles—because one of my sisters played them constantly. And one of their songs springs to mind on a regular basis—“Take It Easy”—which is ironic.

Those who have and do work with me know I’m prone to ups and downs and don’t deal with stress all that well, and I often regret my less-than-stellar ways of dealing with people when I’m feeling the pressure. If only I could “Take It Easy” more often.

When I’m just hanging out with the world’s greatest grandchildren, I do take it easy and find myself in a good space. I was reflecting on why this is so.

I think it’s because they have such simple expectations, feel safe and not threatened, and aren’t beholden to anyone outside of their closest relationships. They’re not stressed about whether the artwork we painted is going to stand up to a stringent peer-review process. The act of creating in a shared experience together was the end in itself. They’re not particularly anxious about balancing multiple projects for a variety of stakeholders. We just laugh and talk and play, and then when we are tired of that, we move on to the next toy or activity.

Or it may even mean I get ditched and they cuddle Grammy for a while. They don’t lay awake wondering if they achieved enough on the swing set or met some arbitrarily defined standards for play dough creations for which they’re going to be judged. They just enjoy the moment and fill it with what makes their inner being and soul abundant in the company of those they love and who love them.

I know I’m responsible for my own actions and responses, but I also wonder if we’re all taking things just a bit too seriously and imposing on others our own junk. What would happen if we individually, as groups, and corporately all just decided to take it easy a bit more. It might be fun to find out.

Want to try?

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Warrick Long
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Warrick Long

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Dr Warrick Long is an experienced chief financial officer, company secretary and company director, having worked for more than 25 years in the not-for-profit sector. In 2013, he joined Avondale Business School where he is a Senior Lecturer, MBA Course Convenor and a leadership and governance specialist.