Halloween has got me thinking about capes. We all have many capes hanging up, some that we are not even aware of. I have been out trail running with my Hubs a fair bit recently. His physical fitness and strength inspires me, he works hard at it. My mental fitness inspires him, I work hard at it. Hard work pays off. Sometimes we get frustrated with each other, because we don’t always prioritise the same things. We find some things effortless and others much harder. We both have our own fears and we both have areas that we have stronger faith and self-belief. For one, I don’t have the guts to go trail running on my own, as much as I utterly adore it. I’m also terrified of dogs I don’t know who come charging towards me. That stuff is effortless to him. What is effortless to you and how can you use this to help those close to you? Talking, sharing and supporting is effortless for me. Nothing is off limits. I am no longer afraid of what people think of me, because I know my values and I know my value. I know that my intentions are good. It has taken a lot of work to get here.
As we ran up a steep hill recently, I wanted to stop. I couldn’t keep up with him. I was frustrated. He told me to keep running, it didn’t matter the pace. His words were simple but they left an impact.
‘Just don’t stop. Keep going’.
He got behind me and started pushing me up the hill. He had my back, literally. In that moment, he was wearing a cape. Then we got to the top and the views were outstanding. It was all downhill from there, in a wonderful way.
Hubs had been stressed before the run. He couldn’t get out of his head. His mind was busy. I took time to chat with him. I read to him and shared my insights. I tried to be as compassionate as I could but I was also straight talking and honest. I encouraged him to get out in nature and let his soul do the talking. Later that day, he told me how much I had helped him. He had woken up feeling heavy and went to bed feeling lighter. I had been wearing a cape for him too.
Each day we have the potential to have a huge impact on people. As I discuss with Neil, the Chief Executive from Social Enterprise Academy, on the podcast this week (episode 72 here) we are all leaders. We all have a cape to wear. You may never know how your words land. Our minds are wired to judge others, rather than taking a step back to think about how we can help them and encourage. I say no to my mind. We can break this cycle. Some people will be a mood hoover in your life and tell you that people can’t change. It’s not true. They can. With a little help along the way.
Get your cape on.
Tip, in the Summer we were kindly gifted a Leakproof water bottle. If you follow my stories you will see it comes with us everywhere (it has even been to the Spanish islands). Huge thumbs up from the whole family. We have been through LOADS of water bottles and this one is our top pick so far. I have had messages from my readers who agree. Remember – staying hydrated is equally important for our mental, emotional and physical health.
