Time flies, even in this crazy time of the pandemic. In the beginning of the year I wrote that we all need to find a reset button. Well, you can tell I found it. I have made use of these crazy times when I had no control over my environment. I was getting upset about the senseless decisions of our government and just the idea that someone else was telling me what to do was driving me crazy. Growing up in a political system that took away the basic rights made me remember my childhood and made me mad. Of course, it is not comparable to the situation we are living in. Nevertheless, these thoughts kept bothering me. The most valuable asset of mine, freedom, was threatened.

In the midst of new year plans for many of my clients, new contracts kept arriving, and I plunged into new ideas and creativity. The re-branding process of my business has been going on at the same time and there were all my professional development training programs I have been part of. During the third lockdown, it was the safest harbor. Isolating myself with things I loved. Keeping things under control. Connected to my clients! And connected to my coaching peers around the world. Thank you virtual world! And I mean all around the world. I would have never had the chance to meet and get to know so many fabulous people.

All continents, countless countries, and cultures with the same purpose of improving the art of coaching. Early morning meetings and late evening meetings gave me the energy I needed to keep sane in these crazy times. Getting to know people works virtually as well, the idea of being close, being open, learning from each other, profiting from each other. What a memorable experience this is. I simply love it.

Many of my clients, in the area of training and coaching, went through their first new experience with me. Seeing each other on a screen. Not in a seminar room, not in a conference room, and still working on whatever area of their professional world they needed to work on. Some were skeptical at first, but they threw away their doubts after just one session. We can complain about zoom fatigue or we can get to work and get things done. Everything is shut down but what is open to you?

Hitting the zoom wall is the effect we are experiencing as it makes our lives incredibly one-sided. We are not supposed to see our extended family, our friends, our colleagues… Any type of free time activity that used to be taken for granted has been put on hold for over a year now. It’s just too much. As soon as the variety of activities is back, we will appreciate the virtual setting much more than now. Technology will stay and will play even a bigger role in our future lives. We gained access to areas that were foreign to us and we will not let go.

Approaching the end of the third lockdown seems to provide a silver lining. I like the thought of actually leaving my safe harbor and experiencing the beauty of the world. My suitcase is half packed. And I am so looking forward to the first conference that might actually take place in the late summer. And finally hugging the people who I met on the screen. What about you?