Greetings,
It is with a grateful heart that I write to you as we embrace the third quarter of 2021.
The IAM team welcomed Spring with teambuilding events stretched over a few days at the start of September. This was a fantastic break from months on months being locked in to zoom meetings and working from home. We had the opportunity to exercise and share our creative sides by participating in an “art jamming” session. I was amazed by my own ability to create a beautiful landscape, and I learned there is a sense of freedom and authenticity that comes from letting go of wanting a perfect picture and keeping within the lines. The extraordinary paintings that my fellow team members created reminded me that I am in the presence of greatness.
The teambuilding continued the next day with the team venturing off to climb Table Mountain together. It was a super experience as we slowly took the climb one step at a time. I was reminded of a quote from Thomas Merton, “how do you expect to arrive at the end of your journey if you take the road to another man's city?”. We all had our own journey to complete as we rested, took some sustenance, supported and encouraged one another that we were nearly at the peak.
The journey was filled with challenges – questioning our own abilities and strengths, wondering if we will ALL make it? Those who’ve hiked up Platteklip Gorge before would know the hiking trail zig-zags across the belly of the gorge in what feels like a hundred times the closer one gets to the summit. A team member described the zig-zag path as a symbol of the COVID-19 journey – we can see the end for a moment, it feels so close, and yet in a blink of an eye we take a turn that moves us away from seeing the end. The aim was to keep going and rest when necessary. The hike offered us an incredible experience to connect and learn from nature, and it inspired and motivated us to embrace this gift more often – for this is where we find sustenance for the journey of life.
This experience has connected our team more than ever before. I want to encourage all to embrace the unknown journey of life with new vigor and support those who find this new space difficult. May you experience the love of the Universe as we move into this new season.