Ask Alison

I'm really finding it hard to walk the talk on this one at the moment. I suspect I am definitely being busy for busyness sake - the need to "do" over rides patience and the inner knowing that tells me action now is likely to result in wasted effort and seeds that never flourish because I'm wanting to put them out in the ground before the last frost had been (usually June the 1st here in Scotland). It's virtual Chelsea Flower Show and so I'll be using gardening as a metaphor for our lives all week to sow seeds, dig deeper, and germinate ideas. Do follow hashtag#landscapingyourlife on Facebook or LinkedIn or even join me on Tuesday for a webinar looking as personal and team flourishing with insight from the garden.

You can also sign up for my Landscaping Your Life ezine and newsletter here.

When you've got a lawnmover everything is a lawn

When we only have a lawn mower everything looks like a lawn. I might have mixed my metaphors a little here and borrowed from the hammer/nail analogy but when using gardening as a metaphor for our lives it begs the question what tools do we have in our potting shed, and which are most appropriate to use in the situation at hand? After all a spade, pruning shears, watering can and lawn mower all have very different uses and outcomes. In turbulent times it’s exactly this appropriate use of a wide range of tools that teams need from leaders and managers. One tool does not fit all - it’s actually dangerous and harmful. What tool will you get out of the potting shed today - and don’t worry if you have to look up how to use it - it’s better than sticking to the same tool because you know how it works. Join me for my webinar Landscaping your teams in turbulent times next Tuesday 19th May to gain additional insight as we explore this metaphor further. You can also sign up for my Landscaping Your Life ezine and newsletter here. hashtag

What seeds are you sowing today?

What seeds are you sowing today - and do they contain the potential for your flourishing and the flourishing of this wonderful planet of ours and all it’s inhabitants?

Insight from the moon

Last night’s full moon is hidden behind cloud and yet .. It’s beauty is reflected in those very clouds, in the sea and the beach. Which has me thinking that when it’s cloudy and turbulent that it’s too easy to believe that no one will notice nor be impacted by our shine and therefore we give up and don’t even bother. Isn’t it however precisely in the darker times that light is needed even if reflected rather than directly seen? Do your thing, be unapologetically you and shine your light - it might just be what someone needs in a moment of darkness.

The previous night the insight had been a little different which is why I love nature so much it just keeps on giving.

Look at the reflection of moonlight on water and you’ll notice as you move so does the reflection - that is the reflection is actually a relationship between you and the moon not the moon and the water. Next time you judge another consider the reflection you’re seeing is about you not the other.