Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to work for a company that offered me the opportunity to attend an Asia-Pacific Human Resources Conference in South Korea.

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And I didn't want to go.

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I'd never travelled that far overseas on my own before. The thought of it was daunting, and I was quite determined that I wasn't going.

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My boss had other ideas.

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He came to me and said, "They've put a lot of effort into organising this. You really need to go."

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So, reluctantly, I agreed.

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And what an extraordinary experience it turned out to be.

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I found myself surrounded by HR professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region — Thailand, Japan, India, South Korea and beyond.

 

Different cultures, different perspectives, different ways of thinking. Yet so many shared experiences and challenges.

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One presentation in particular has stayed with me all these years.

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It was delivered by the company's Finance Manager from India. Now, having worked with plenty of finance people over the years, I don't necessarily associate them with the warm and fluffy side of life! They're generally analytical, practical and focused on numbers.

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But this gentleman was different.

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He spoke about how, in India, his colleagues would begin their working day together, practising deep breathing and taking a moment to centre themselves before the demands of the day began.

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His presentation was full of thoughtful, motivational messages about life, perspective and the way we approach our challenges.

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And one simple statement has never left me:

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"Not one snowflake falls in the wrong spot."

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I've kept that PowerPoint presentation all these years.

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I returned from South Korea feeling incredibly fortunate. Something I'd been so anxious about had become one of the most memorable experiences of my professional life.

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And that brings me to this morning.

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I woke early, looked outside my window, and there it was.

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A magnificent sunrise, the sky glowing pink and purple, with a beautiful rainbow stretching across it.

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For a moment, everything else seemed to fade into the background.

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And I thought about those snowflakes.

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You see, I have quite a few snowflakes floating around in my life at the moment. Some big, some small. Some that have been hanging in the air for longer than I'd like.

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And yes, at times it's been stressful, overwhelming and exhausting.

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I'm someone who likes to resolve things, make decisions and know where I'm heading. Waiting for things to fall into place doesn't always come naturally to me.

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But this morning reminded me of something I learnt all those years ago.

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Not every situation needs to be resolved today. Not every uncertainty needs an immediate answer. And sometimes, the things we worry about most eventually settle in ways we couldn't have anticipated.

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For women in the workforce and men too, particularly those juggling careers, family, caring responsibilities, study, relationships and the endless demands of everyday life, it can sometimes feel as though we're trying to catch every snowflake before it reaches the ground.

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Perhaps we don't have to.

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Perhaps we can allow some things the time and space to settle.

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I don't know exactly where all my snowflakes will land, but I have faith that, one way or another, things will work out.

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And in the meantime, I hope I remember to look out the window.

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Because sometimes, in the middle of all the uncertainty, life gives us a sunrise.

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And this morning, it gave me a rainbow as well.

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So, to anyone feeling overwhelmed today, remember: not one snowflake falls in the wrong spot.

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And while you're waiting for yours to land, don't forget to enjoy the sunrise.

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