Find The Evidence

Kia ora e tai mā - hey lovelies!

As humans we're built to be aware of risk, and to always be working towards a next thing.

Unfortunately that means it doesn't come naturally to us to think about how far we've come.

As we get closer to the end of the year (like, seriously, it's hurtling towards us like a Great Dane puppy on crack), I'm gathering evidence of how far I've come.

Why?

So I don't get caught up in the busy-busy, hustle-hustle, tick-things-off-the-list, hold-on-for-dear-life-with-white-knuckles to get to Christmas...

I want to cruise into summer productive and joyful. Grateful and reflective. And only I can make that happen.

So right now I'm reflecting on the fact that:

• I can now teach a 90-minute workshop completely in te reo Māori - far from perfectly, but I can do it!

• I have sung onstage at The Michael Fowler Centre - twice (they didn't ask me to or pay me to, LOL, but I did it!)

• I have stood in front of thousands of humans this year as a keynote speaker trusted to open or close a conference - a huge honour and responsibility - and I've been paid well for it, and people have told me I did a good job.

• I have supported my young adult children as they continued to grow. Their growth has blown me away, as usual, and I recognise the evidence that I did a pretty decent job raising them until they started raising themselves.

And those facts are EVIDENCE that:

• I am well along my journey of reclaiming a language stolen from my ancestors

• I've got balls

• I'm a great speaker

• I'm a great mum

I would believe exactly NONE of those things if I didn't regularly pause to reflect and gather evidence.

Now you.

Look at what you've done, my friend. E poho kererū ana au i a koe! I'm so proud of you.