Last Sunday, at our leadership tribe’s Christmas party, we found a lovely way to have a meaningful conversation and create connection between everyone, even those who had not made the time to speak to each other for the better part of a year. How did we do that?

First, reflecting for just a few minutes on the previous 12 months, we wrote two lists in silence:

• A list with all the challenges and failures of 2020

• Another list with all our successes and blessings in 2020

One after another, we then shared what we had written.
It created instant compassion and celebration, and, through that, intimacy.
It had me realise that one of the greatest blessings for us this year was the growing openess to meet online.

In March 2020, we made it our goal to prove that connected and productive online meetings are possible, that everyone can co-create an online environment for trust, meaningful exchange, and yes, intimacy.

The most cherished occasion where this happened was the “Elephant in the Room” event we co-created and co-led together with our dear colleague and friend Susie Astbury. With her we have long practiced having honest and vulnerable conversations to nurture personal growth. Our conversations have always been online, given that we live in different countries.

To gift this experience of deep connection to more than 80 people from Europe, the United States and Asia was amazing.

In 2020, most people we talked to have spoken to an insight that surprised us all:

What is most important to most people is to be in relationship, to feel connected, and to have meaningful conversations with others.

The loss of the freedom to go and visit friends and family, to physically hold one another was painful.
This reconnection to what matters and the realisation that we spend a lot of time in our busy, busy lives with things that nourish us less than social connection and love, is a silver lining.

It is a wake up call, and the true blessing of the restrictions we all have been living with for the better part of this year.
Alas, it is not over, and to not celebrate the holidays in person, with those we love, is so very tough on many people.
So it is for us, as we are not going to celebrate Christmas with our extended family.
But even if we don’t meet in person, no one has to be alone in our age of Zoom.
Who will you connect with and invite into your celebrations this year?

Whatever you celebrate during the holidays: Seasons greetings and stay well!