15 May is International Day of Families, a day to remember and celebrate the family's crucial role in our world’s cultures and societies.
Every family is unique in its own special way. Some of us have a solid and loving connection with our family of origin and some of us have found that loving relationship with friends that have become our family along the way. International Day of Families is more than just celebrating the people that share our DNA, it is celebrating the people we love and adore.
As leaders, we place much importance on our work, sometimes life gets out of balance and we find ourselves neglecting our family. This day is an invitation to honour the importance of family and to reach out and connect more meaningly with those we love most.
To help build and strengthen your connection to your family, we invite you to answer the following questions:
1. How has your connection to your family of origin shaped you as a leader?
2. What are the gifts that have emerged from your family of origin?
3. When you reflect on who and what you identify as your family now, how do you add value to each other's lives in a way that elevates you all?
4. What do you need to differently in how you prioritise family?
5. What is one thing you could do right now to show your family you value them?
6. What traditions can you anchor to strengthen your relationship with your family members? If, like many people in this fast-paced world, you don’t have any traditions, it’s never too late to start (enjoy at least one family meal together a day and an extended family meal each week, take a family holiday together during a special time like Easter or Christmas, organise a weekly family games night or enjoy family picnics).
7. If you had a tricky family dynamic and didn’t get to feel the security from your family of origin, we invite you to share and explore this with a trusted confidante.
On this special day, we invite you to reach out to those you love most, the family who help you feel loved, supported and anchored confidently in this world.