Listening to radio 4 while driving yesterday, I was engrossed. It was a phone-in programme about the NHS being 'weaponised' as the UK hurtles towards another general election.

Pretty much everyone phoning in said political parties should stop point scoring. But few thought it would be possible to extricate the NHS from politics. Elections are won and lost on whether or not public services like the NHS are delivering what the electorate expect them to.

What jarred though was the words being used. In the past the NHS was a 'political football' now it is being 'weaponised'.

When did that shift in language happen?

And importantly, what does the shift to such violent nomenclature suggest? Are we becoming immune to the meanings of words? And if so, how does this affect our psyche?

'Bed blocker' was the other term at the centre of much debate.

 Remember when you were thirteen? What music were you listening to? 

What about the year you left home? 

Or maybe the day you met the love of your life?

These are the questions I pondered when I created my Playlist for Life as part of an event I was helping to run last year. Haven't heard of it?  You'll find information here.

Music brings the memories alive

A warm, mellow ache settled in my chest as I connected with the memories swirling up through the music. I feel it again, now, as I write. 

You select five songs or pieces of music, then capture in words why these have a particular significance for you. You’ll find mine on the ‘Playlist’ page. They were mostly happy times. Some relate to early transitions and are infused with angst. But all are uniquely 'me'.

I hadn't anticipated how the music would bring the memories so gloriously alive.

Dedicated to people with dementia

Playlist for Life is a charity with its origins in New York. Their work is dedicated to people with dementia. The premise: a thoughtfully compiled, highly personal playlist will help people with dementia reconnect with experiences that defined them.

 The week between Christmas and the New Year often takes on an ‘other-worldly’ quality. Retreat and introspection are nestled soporifically between festive book ends. The world slows down creating space for reflection. 

This kind of benign introspection doesn't take much effort. It would be easy to discount festive downtime as 'cerebral idling'. But it serves an important function in creating distance and bringing perspective to our otherwise hectic lives. 

For those committed to life-long learning and continuous improvement, reflection plays a central role. Margaret Wheatley sums it up in her customary no-nonsense manner:

“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences and failing to achieve anything useful”  

Reflection in a work context is more situation-specific. It requires an explicit evaluation of self and is bound by time and place. Our own backgrounds, assumptions, feelings and behaviour influence how we view things and need to be brought into the mix. Stretch the lens to include the wider systemic context and the foundations for reflexivity are laid. 

How do we extend the benefits of these quiet festive moments into our normal workday lives? Here are some of my reflections.