FINAL ARRIVAL
What seemed like an eternity to arrive, was actually 15 months – when that moment I kept imagining over and over again in my head finally arrived. After a relatively quick flight, we landed and walked through airport arrivals and there was our daughter, running at us with arms open, a big smile and a hug that lasted forever. We all cried and although COVID-19 had kept us apart far too long, within minutes we were chatting away like no time had passed at all. Lots more hugs and that wonderful feeling of being reunited was overwhelming, a true sense of love. I won’t forget that moment of time and that feeling.
All those Zoom calls, texts and emails over the past year paled on seeing our daughter and being with her. In the days following, there were daily walks, lots of talking and laughing, eating and drinking and just being together. It made me think about how we could adopt a much simpler life – one that didn’t involve getting on and off planes, running to that next ‘important’ meeting. How do I make that happen? One thing was sure, being together made me happy.
Like many of you, I am sure that time spent away from your loved ones during COVID-19 has meant much reflection and re-evaluation. It has made me realise that somehow, we all need to be closer and to overcome living in different countries. I’m not sure how or when this can or will happen, but it certainly is a goal worth holding onto.
When we launched MiNDFOOD almost 14 years ago, the issues around global waste and the environment were beginning to gain traction and much was being reported in mainstream media. Now you can read, view or learn something that is going on within your local communities or wider world about sustainability and new inventions in and around creating a better world every day. Within our Community section in this edition (from page 25), we learn from many different individuals with new ideas and thinking – from clean, green new hydrogen technologies transforming the aviation and transport industries, to a 20-year-old who has created a method for removing microplastics from the water after experiencing firsthand the impact of pollution.
Zero carbon buildings will, I’m sure, one day become the norm as per the ambitious targets set by the World Green Building Council, where the goal is that every building on the planet must be net zero carbon by 2050. Considering only about 1 per cent of buildings worldwide are currently zero carbon, it will be a real challenge. Although the design techniques and technologies for sustainable buildings are available now, there needs to be a willingness to adopt them.
The health of both the planet and its people are paramount, and I am thankful for those entrepreneurs among us working endless and – no doubt at times – lonely research hours while coming up against the naysayers. Their drive and focus in trying to create a better world with new thinking and alternatives is to be admired. We all have a part to play – whether it’s to encourage, support or adopt new thinking in building – and thereby creating a healthier, more sustainable world.
Our feature on Impostor Syndrome and experiencing self-doubt (page 42) is fascinating. One thing I took away from reading this story is the idea of changing your thinking by imagining if your impostor syndrome were actually a friend’s situation. How would you advise them? It’s all too easy to take to heart the insults and slights that others aim in our direction. Giving yourself a hard time can also get in the way of creativity and productivity, as you waste time and energy on negative thinking. Those triggers of self-doubt can easily creep in, especially if you spend time with influencers who make you feel bad about yourself or inspire you to adopt a false persona to survive or compete with everyone around you.
Remind yourself it’s okay to get things wrong, to not always have the answer to everything. There’s comfort in knowing you’re not alone in experiencing moments of self-doubt. Acknowledge your strengths as well as the areas you wish to improve in your life, accepting that alongside your talents and abilities, you also have areas you could develop through practice and effort. Focusing on what you have done well is far more effective than beating yourself up about what you are not.
One thing for sure I have learnt this year is to surround yourself with people you love and who support you, and whom you want to support. Time apart from those you love the most teaches you that.
“THAT WONDERFUL FEELING OF BEING REUNITED WAS A TRUE SENSE OF LOVE.”