Don't stand alone. Stand out.
E57: How will the world see you?
I just got back last night from a wonderful 12 days in Cape Town.
There were many highlights, like taking in the last sunset of 2023 on New Year's Eve looking out from below The Twelve Apostles.
Waking up to these views over long, 2-hour-plus breakfasts.
And a vineyard safari at the Waterford wine estate. ps The “The Gem” 2016 is very fine indeed.
It's become a regular event to go for a hike, too, on or around New Year's Day. Andrew likes to start each year with a hike to usher in a year with intention and purpose.
Last year we were fortunate to have a blue sky hike up to the top of Helvellyn in the Lake District at -5 C / 23 F.
During the last few days of 2023, however, Table Mountain had been closed off due to gale-force winds. But New Year's Day was set to be a scorcher: 32 C / 90 F with barely a drop of wind.
Even though the hikes we normally do range from 1000 to 1500 m / 3280 to 4912 ft of elevation gain, this mere 517 m / 1696 ft was hard! Climbing every one of those 517 vertical metres in that scorching heat - without shade or any breeze - was intense.
If you caught last week's newsletter - E56 Your Word for 2024 - you'll know that my word for 2024 is effortlessness.
Each climb upward certainly didn't feel effortless in that moment, but one of the things I've noticed is that even a hard hike can feel more effortless with preparation: having an early night before, preparing water with my favourite electrolyte salts, starting early to avoid as much of the midday sun as possible and benefitting from the training over many years from hiking other mountain peaks.
Here’s the Table Mountain hiking route we took - you can click on the map to see a video flyover of the route. Click on the aeroplane icon ✈️ after the page loads.
Fynbos and the pink flowers
One of the things I love about hiking and being outdoors in nature is slowing down to observe. The slowing down bit is not hard when going up steep slopes!
But on one of our ascents toward the end of our hike, something colourful caught my eye.
One of the characteristics of Table Mountain, like many parts of the Western and Eastern Cape in South Africa, is the existence of natural shrubland vegetation called Fynbos, literally "fine plants".
The almost-singeing heat of the summer sun swept up smells of Fynbos that wafted us with eucalyptus, hay and citrusy herbs.
These pink flowers stood out immediately during the four-hour hike because they weren't to be seen anywhere else along the trail.
It got me thinking.
How did these flowers end up here, and nowhere else?
Where are all its pink flower friends?
Do they know they're the only ones here?
Standing out
Sometimes we can feel like these flowers.
We're doing something that feels hard because we're fearful about the best way forward, or we're not confident that the next step is the right one.
Or we know exactly what we want (eg to hit our targets for this year), but we're thinking so much about the challenges and obstacles along the way, that it feels impossible to know where to begin.
We feel like we're standing alone.
But what was remarkable about these pink flowers is that they were still here, despite what the infamous Table Mountain weather conditions were hurling at them over the past few days.
The cable car up to the top of Table Mountain had been shut for several days due to gale-force winds.
Every day that we surveyed the peak to assess the chances of hiking, a swirling cloud shrouded the tops.
And when we did hike this trail, the sun was beating down ceaselessly.
And yet these little pink flowers were taking a stand, making their colourful mark.
How do I want to stand out
2024 is my year for paying attention to effortlessness.
When it comes to you, dear reader, I want this newsletter to help you experience success in your career without the usual downsides:
To bring back the joy in what you do
To deepen the connection you have with yourself and with those around you.
To unlock your courage to change with confidence and simplicity.
That's the stand I want to take - to make my own colourful mark in the world.
Over to you
Last week I invited you to choose a word to focus on for 2024.
What have you chosen? I'd still love to hear from you if you have.
Drop me an email, or share a comment in the comments below!
As you consider that word to focus on, what stand do you want to take this year?
How will the world see the beautiful colours you have to display, come wind, rain or shine?
ps If you’re an entrepreneur, a lawyer or another high-flying professional - who’s looking to bring joy back into your work and home life - by building a healthy brain for a career that’s full of success in a way that feels effortless, get in touch and let’s have a conversation.
That’s it for this week!
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To your health and success!
Eric
These are really gorgeous views! Glad to hear you had a beautiful trip. Can't wait to read more of your "colourful marks" in 2024 :)
I found this to be a beautiful post Eric. And the way you articulated your mission rings clear and true as a bell to me.
"I want this newsletter to help you experience success in your career without the usual downsides:
To bring back the joy in what you do
To deepen the connection you have with yourself and with those around you.
To unlock your courage to change with confidence and simplicity."
Maybe it's just a function of this message hitting me at the right time, but your message is reaching me with more simplicity, clarity, and possibility than it ever has before.
Just wanted you to know how it is landing. With joy.