‘What a depressing day,’ I messaged Tennis Player.
‘Raaaiiinnn. I’ll arrive in London today,’ he replied.
‘I was referring to the EU referendum results – uncertain times.’
‘I lost that pic you sent me. Please can you resend it? Yes, bad news on the results, too – lost 12% on my stocks.’
‘I like the fact that a photo is higher up your list of importance,’ I laughed.
‘Yes, where’s that picture?!’
I was mulling over job options with Trustafarian. Two days ago, he advised turning down a poorly paid role. His view changed after Britain voted out, ‘You should probably take what you can get.’
I met Sarah, the lady whose Chelsea home and cat I would be looking after while she visits family in the US. I discovered a little about her life: she had recently gone through a period of change and upheaval which has led to a U-turn from returning home to the US to making a permanent move to London.
It reminded me that no matter how much we plan ahead, life is full of uncertainties. With regards to the EU referendum, the pollsters were wrong; the currency traders were wrong; and the pundits were confounded. We’ve voted for change and we’ll have to live with its results for the next decade or longer. What’s more, the results have revealed a divided country and our challenge is to make our country’s verdict work.
As Tony Schwartz, the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything, said, ‘Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.’
