I’m proud of my knowledge and I’m proud of my skills, although it’s my personality that brings these qualities together and creates my strengths.  It’s like adding a twist of lime to make my drink zing.  You know already that I’m up for keeping people refreshed and CVs sparkling, so this piece is all about finding your zing.

My week didn’t start well.  A very dear friend lost her fight with Leukaemia.  We met more than 15 years ago at work.  She was on the client team and I was the not so popular consultant, hired by the even less popular director.  Apparently, it was my bright red lipstick, my wildly colourful outfits and my personality which won her over.  And of course, I always had my knowledge and skills as a back-up and she definitely had the zing.

When life seems tough, it’s good to draw energy from positive memories and the things which you enjoy.  There will be some people reading this who’s zing may be buried amid worries about employment or business closure, as the furlough scheme is retired.  Maybe it’s time to plan how much time you devote to job seeking and entrepreneurship and how you balance those activities with keeping strong.  And remember, keeping strong doesn’t mean going it alone.  Communities and networks are one of the triumphs of 2020.  Let other people help you to sparkle.  Draw on their positivity, there’s enough to go round.

My own zest for life is often shored up by my love of the garden as you know.  Remember my obstinate green chillies?  They’d certainly pack a punch if left to their own devices, although I wasn’t sure I was ready for their kind of zing.  Despatched to the kitchen windowsill, they’re now beginning to ripen to a shade not dissimilar to my favourite red lipstick.  Every day since I picked them on Sunday, they’ve made me smile as I pass by.  Not just because we grew and harvested half a dozen chillies, but because if we hadn’t picked them on Sunday, we wouldn’t have notice that our goldfish had spawned babies.

I realize that I suggested that hobbies are back in vogue, but really, me an aquarist.  This extraordinary find brings its own challenges.  With seven mouths to feed and four of them fries (yes, I’ve been researching) who knows if they’ll survive the Winter, but we’re all enjoying the Autumn sunshine this morning.  And they’re certainly adding a new and positive dimension to the garden.

Some ideas to create positivity and zing or if you’d rather begin a conversation, let’s talk:

• Create your plan – balance new business ideas and job seeking with “downtime”

• Check in on someone you haven’t heard from in a while

• Cycle or walk by the sea (or river or lake)

• Go foraging and find some interesting foliage to make a seasonal display

• Clear out your wardrobe or the shed (before it gets too cold)

• Create a feature wall or upcycle a piece of furniture

• Select a novel and read it because you can and not because you ought to

• Pick your chillies and check your garden ponds

• Celebrate the positives and weed out the negatives

• Remember to ask for help before you need it