Have you ever had an opportunity present itself to indulge a passion, however dismissed it ‘as a pie in the sky dream’ before you have finished reading about it? That was me at the end of 2015 when I first heard about Christina Gerakiteys ‘Innovation and Creativity Retreat’ in Greece. To immerse myself in 6 days of workshops focused on creating innovative thinking, bookended with outdoor yoga classes framed with 180 degree views of the Ionian Sea, was my ‘pie in the sky’ dream. Fortunately, when contemplating the many reasons to go, and so many reasons not to, it was the great people I surround myself with who supported me in signing up.

 

As an entrepreneur, business leader and mum to three beautiful girls, I know that there are two things I need to manage very well- and I know what the cost is when I don’t. My time and my energy, the things I make a priority (and why) and how I keep myself sustainably energised is of utmost importance. When these two things are not in check, the result is never positive. I have seen it in myself and I see it in my clients.

That sense of being on the mouse wheel, not fully present and questioning the purpose of it all. These two critical factors may seem trivial, however, take note of how well you are performing (and how much you are enjoying life) when you don’t consciously manage them.

 

And that is what my experience at Christina’s Innovation and Creativity (Yoga) Greek Island retreat gave me. Time to connect with my purpose for doing what I do, and create energy to stay inspired to continue doing it. It’s when we can create moments of calm in our life that we have the best ideas – a walk by the beach, a high impact run listening to our favourite playlist or a hot shower – we all know our space. To have taken the opportunity to do that for 6 days so I could ‘shine the light on my own possibility’ was incredible.

 

Christina created a leading edge workshop, combining global thought leadership philosophies in a setting that was worthy of being on a postcard, whichever way you looked. So what did I learn? I learnt that when we see something we like and are interested in doing, question why we dismiss it. Then question it again.