Happy Friday Virtus Family.

"You see in this world, there is one awful thing, and that is that everyone has his reasons"
Jean Renoir

Did anyone else notice the 6-month mark of our Vic lockdown sneak by a few days ago? It seems crazy to think that it's been half a year since we happily hugged our friends and laughed together without the thought of social distancing or community transmission.

Our communities are all experiencing these challenging times in different ways, between the business closures, online everything, virtual classrooms, take-away only coffee (oh to drink a spro out of ceramic) everybody has many reasons to be sad, frustrated, impatient, lost & upset at all of the lost laughs, the lost routine, the hugs that we didn't get to enjoy and impact this has had on our freedoms & independence. If you have felt hard done by at times over the past half a year, you're certainly not alone. I've been right there with you.

When I was growing up, I loved to read (still bloody do). Between authors like Andy Griffiths, J.K Rowling, Enid Blighton & R.L Stine, there was no shortage of books to read to escape into a fantasy world & check in with what the characters were up to. I loved how the authors would take you on a journey through the misadventures & challenges that the characters would go on eventually figuring things out, escaping seemingly inescapable danger to make it home safe before the end of the book.

There was one type of book that wasn't the same as the others, that took you on a different kind of adventure, an adventure which allowed you to not only participate as an observer but in which YOU decide what happens next.

These books allowed you to choose your own adventure. At the forks in the road that the characters would inevitably face, you'd be able to choose which path they took and ultimately where they ended up.
Some of these decisions were easy, but others felt like a flip of a coin & I don't believe you if you say you didn't cheekily look ahead to see if your path would lead to glory or destruction.

The life you are leading has many parallels to these kinds of books, each day you are presented by a number of choices and it is up to you to decide which one to make to choose the path your adventure will take. Unfortunately, you can't sneak a look ahead and must make your decision with the information at hand.
Over the past 6 months, your decisions have ultimately determined your adventure and the quality of your life in the interim.

Do you choose to sleep in again or Do you get up early for a walk?

Do you watch the COVID-19 Press conference or Do you read a book?

Do you stay on the couch or Do you double knot your laces and head out for that run?

Do you engage in arguments on social media or Do you switch off and focus on your own headspace?

Yes, these last 6 months have been challenging but an immense amount of good has come to those who have allowed it to and who have made good decisions. The added perspective, the slow down, the focus on the little things, the quality connection, the opportunity to be grateful for what we have and the time we have spent either with family or ourselves. There has been stillness, purpose, patience, love and all of the good things we can forget about when our life goes at 100km an hour.

Life is all about perspective, mindset and is a culmination of the decisions you make. If you choose to make poor decisions more often than not, this will be reflected by a poor quality of your life, if you make good decisions, then you'll live the life you want to live.

I'm not here to tell you whether you've been making good decisions or bad decisions, right decisions or wrong decisions, you'll know that answer. Whether you're happy & content or frustrated & anxious, the proof will be in the pudding. I'm here to provoke you to think about the decisions you've made and to make better decisions today, tomorrow and for the rest of your lives.

Essentially all life is, is a series of decisions and then you die, so best you make some good ones.

I talk to a lot of people about how they are, what is going well, what is working what is not. There are people who are grateful for what they have, and others who are resentful for what they don't have.

The most consistent parallels between the people who are happy & thriving in the face of adversity is this: They are the ones who are focusing on the finite things that are within their control, rather than the infinite things outside of it. It's cliche and cheesy, but it works. The people who are struggling, are stuck in the negative feedback loop of watching the updates, arguing about what should be done differently, and complaining about that which is not within their control.

The ball is in your court. You choose your own adventure.

I hope your pudding tastes delicious and that you're happy and thriving.

Be amazing. Make good decisions. Stop arguing on the internet & please reach out if you need help getting where you want to go.

Big love

Wallace

The Proof Is In The Pudding