Happy Monday everyone!
Here are some of my recent reflections from over the past few weeks that I hope will inspire, inform, and spark new ideas in your world.
What I‘ve LOVED
On our recent family holiday, I decided to do something that felt both small and radical: I deleted social media from my phone. No scrolling in quiet moments. No posting updates. No background noise of other people’s lives. I wanted to use the precious time we had together to focus on our life as a family and the moments we were having.
The first surprise was how quickly the itch to check disappeared. By day two, I wasn’t thinking about what I might be “missing.” Instead, I found myself noticing more, such as the conversations that unfolded when I wasn’t half-distracted.
And the best part? I didn’t miss it. Not once. In fact, with the extra space I’d created, I managed to do something I haven’t done on holiday in years, I read three whole books. Cover to cover. The kind of slow, immersive reading that makes you lose track of time and opens up your mind to new ideas and possibilities.
There’s a lesson in there for me about presence, about attention, and about how often I tell myself I “need” things that, in reality, I don’t.
This week, as normal life resumes, I’m asking myself how do I carry that same sense of presence and distraction that social media can bring without needing a holiday to force the reset?
What I’ve LEARNED
We’ve got a cupboard at home stacked high with board games. For years, when the kids were younger, it was a well-worn treasure chest—we’d pull something out most weekends and lose ourselves in the laughter, the competitiveness, and the simple joy of playing.
Somewhere along the way, though, the games gathered dust. Other priorities crept in. Screens filled the gaps. The cupboard stayed closed.
On holiday, we picked up a new card game—Monopoly Deal. It didn’t take long before we were hooked. Evenings around the table, cards in hand, rediscovering that rhythm of banter, rivalry, and the little alliances that form mid-game. I’d forgotten how much I love playing.
My daughter seemed to have some kind of uncanny ability to win every round (to the increasing frustration of the rest of us). But maybe that’s the point, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that we were playing, together.
It was a reminder that the cupboard is still there, waiting. And that joy is often sitting just a shuffle of cards away, if only we make the time to open it.
So here’s my question for you this week: what’s sitting in your cupboard, waiting to be rediscovered?
A quick thank you to the couple who introduced us to the game in the first place – you know who you are. With a baby on the way, your own game nights may soon look a little different, but I’ve no doubt this one will stay in rotation.
What I’ve LIKED
One of the books I read on holiday came as a strong recommendation from someone who knows the kinds of things I usually enjoy.
When it arrived, though, I wasn’t convinced. I was aware of the author, but the title didn’t grab me, and even the cover made me wonder how well this person really knew me at all. It sat on the side for a few days, silently competing with the other books I’d brought along.
Eventually, I gave it a go.
Within a handful of pages, I was completely hooked. The writing pulled me in, the story carried me along, and before I knew it I was rationing chapters because I didn’t want it to end. It was one of those rare reads where you’re not just entertained—you’re immersed, almost living alongside the characters as I recalled the events as if it was yesterday (it was an autobiography).
And it left me smiling at the irony. A real-life lesson in not judging a book by its cover.
It makes me wonder: how often do I do the same with people, ideas, or opportunities? How many things do I pass over too quickly because they don’t look like they fit me, only to discover later they might have been exactly what I needed?
Final thought:
Here is a song to kick start your week:
If you would like to read the latest Monday Morning Musings then subscribe here:
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Monday Morning Musings 
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