A CAUTIONARY TALE
Hi Folks,
You may be thinking you’ve opened a Heart Foundation email, but no, it’s my end of 2023 quick note to you. And yes – just over 4 weeks ago I had an angiogram which showed I had three blocked arteries, and I underwent open heart surgery three days later. What a curve ball.
So as a person who was pretty healthy and fit, it has come as a big shock that my heart was struggling so much. The week before I had flown over to Perth to work with the Catholic Education National School Improvement Teams, and CEWA principals and then up to Darwin to speak at the Business Managers’ conference with the Department of Education. Lugging a 20 kg bag as I went! Lucky, grateful, amazed, alive. Now the owner of a brand new chest zipper and souped-up heart. (Official definition of souped-up:enhanced or increased in power, performance, or intensity! Woo hoo!)
The whole experience has been one of awe and wonder not only of medical science and professionals, but of love, care and support from family, friends, my team and many of you who knew, my awesome clients and colleagues. How wonderful to have clients and colleagues who were so understanding and caring. My heart feels solid and my bones are healing. I can’t wait until I am firing on all of the cylinders as it looks like I certainly wasn’t before!
The main reason I am putting this here though my friends – PLEASE get your hearts checked. Don’t assume anything when it comes to the heart. Check your calcium score, check that tiredness, lack of energy, or soreness, that irregular heartbeat that might crop up, that blood pressure issue. We’ve got too much life to live and impact to make to leave it to chance.
I wish you all a wonderful end to 2023, a massively deserved break, and I look forward to seeing you wholeheartedly in 2024.
Here’s to strong lives and strong hearts.
HELP ME SHINE A LIGHT ON GREAT LEADERSHIP
Do you know a brilliant Ferocious Warmth Leader and/ or Leadership Team?
During 2024, I am very excited to be finding and investigating more great leadership across Australia, New Zealand the UK, to bring their nuances, approaches, ways of thinking and feeling to you so we can unpack more of the brilliance that is in evidence in many schools and systems. Look out for some exciting developments and ways for you to tap into these exemplars.
If you would like to connect me to people and teams leading amazing things as leaders, please email me at tracey@traceyezard.com.
Perhaps they are leading massive transformation and innovation, or healing a fractured culture or community? Making a real difference to teacher and student wellbeing and learning? Or perhaps they are forging new ways of working and collaborating? Or invigorating a school in many areas, or inspiring their teams to be the very best they can be – with love and support – and of course stretch. I’m interested in hearing any sorts of Ferocious Warmth leadership that has captured your head and your heart!
Ferocious Warmth leaders balance head and heart. They are experts at creating safety and stretch, inspiring others to transform and grow. They are focussed on bringing the very best education to their students, and do it with the trust and deep collaboration with their teams, students and their communities.
