Talking with a prospective client this morning made me frame some of the thoughts I've been ruminating on during the pandemic. Here's what I believe we'll learn during COVID_19 and need to elevate in the time following as brands try to resurface or recreate themselves:
For me, the best remedy for our situation is to just be present. During times of hardship, living in the present moment offers us all a comforting balm, outside of past grievances or future worries. A place of acceptance for what is now - although it’s not always that easy.
Life is strange right now. Jarring for so many. Our communities around the globe have come to both a complete standstill and extreme urgency simultaneously. With isolation, the planet has momentarily pressed pause on “normality”. The disruption is wide-spread and far-flung, it’s resolution seemingly incomprehensible right now.
In a world driven by ego, competition, and self-gratification, Layla and Bruno’s La Sentinelle is a true Renaissance for ski mountaineering. Created to celebrate the real spirit of adventure and share it with their core community, they say the non-competitive ski traverse holds its merit is in its diverse participants and exceptional terrain.
"And I wonder, what if this forced isolation offers us a reprieve from normality? A unique opportunity for questioning business-as-usual. Providing us time to slow down, reassess what’s truly important, and then reset. Could this virus create space for us to determine more meaning and purpose in our everyday lives? To feel more gratitude for the things we do have?”
As with any crises, how we respond to these events is paramount. How we come together to support each other and connect is more important than ever. In this uncertain, unstable time, let us find strength in our communities. Read the full Protect Our Winters UK statement I penned about COVID19…
The proof is in the people! The @protectourwintersuk community of volunteers, trustees and partners, continually inspire me to do better and do more in the fight for our planet.
In my experience, exploring and viewing our planet like this, without judgement, creates an enriching cocktail of sensations: harmony, balance, timelessness and stability. The earnest continuum of life between us and the planet, always moving together.
“Often in the mountains, we get caught up in doing. Running this trail, riding that park, competing in this event, climbing that face. Simply going out for a hike can seem like too little action, not pushing ourselves enough, not beating a personal best. But I think, in all honesty, that’s exactly why we need it.”
“Enjoying everything from hilarious 90s pop playing from chairlift loudspeakers to pizza-box sized single chairlifts, it finally happens. The snow gods turn it on and we don’t see the sun for days. The whole resort wear contagious wild powder-fuelled grins, as if everyone’s caught incomprehensible stoke overnight.”
