Photo by Bianca Ackermann on Unsplash
By: Rebecca Liston
Dear Reader,
While I am not a Gamer, nor am I particularly interested in Anything Tech, I am delighted without fail by stories of programmers creating fun little “Easter Eggs” for folks to happen upon should they seemingly randomly tilt a controller in ‘x’ direction or hit an odd series of keystrokes by accident. Imagining a funny little image popping up in response, or some totally unexpected event to occur as a result, gives me joy.
And it makes me giggle when I hear of film makers putting “Easter Eggs” in a scene – a phone number that appears on a pizza sign that, if dialed, gave the caller hints about what was to come in the sequel, or a photograph in the background of an actor who isn’t even in the film, but who is actually linked personally to the actor in the scene.
Easter Eggs are hints, fun little things to find, items that delight and bring a chuckle…and since we’ve been working online for what feels like Forever, I am finding my own delight in discovering the Easter Eggs we all leave for one another.
Oh, you may not be doing it intentionally but yes, Dear Reader, you’re giving us hints about you and the things that bring you joy on each of our Zoom calls. It’s the candles you light behind you, the butterfly clips in your hair, the picture your 4-year old coloured that now hangs on the fridge. It’s the “Bah Humbug” mug you drink from, the stuffed Eeyore in the corner, the wild turkey feathers in your cabinet. These items and objects, so dear to you, are Easter Eggs for the rest of us, and, for the curious among us, provide not only delight but also grist for the ol’ “Just Who Is This Person” mill.
As I watched one of our team members casually and gleefully lift her Grinch cup to take a sip of tea, I realized just how much I adore the people around me. I mean, under what other circumstances could I toast my client’s wins with a mug marked “Witches Brew?” In what other community could it be possible for a client to lift her leg high to show off her Winnie-the-Pooh socks? Where else would it be “acceptable” to have cats climbing the backs of our chairs and dogs snuffling about in the background?
I find I cannot even begin to express the delight I feel when I stop to realize that this community we have created – you, me, Stella, and all the rest of us – not only shares in my joy of discovering more and more about Who We All Are, but relishes in the opportunity to show one another just Who We Are, too.
When you come to a Virtual Tea Party and wear your tiara. When you show up to a Salon and ask to draw a crystal to open the space for us. When you wave your fingers in front of the camera so I might notice the wee flowers painted on your nails. When you send me a handcrafted notecard you made on your winter break. When you photograph yourself holding your newly-published book and text it to me, without care that you’re in your bathrobe and slippers because who gives a crap about that…
I hold each of these experiences so close to my heart. These winks to your true nature, the ways you pull back the curtain so we can truly See you…In a word, it is glorious.
And I thank you for it, with all of my heart.
Big love,
Rebecca Liston is cofounder and business intuitive at Las Peregrinas, a creative and consulting agency. She specializes in anchoring folks in a clear-eyed understanding of which path is theirs for the taking. She’s got one foot in the land of the subtle and unseen, and the other foot firmly planted in the land of ruthless pragmatism. Oh, and she swears like a sailor, which makes us love her more.
Get letters like this one, plus updates and insights, delivered right to your inbox every week. Here’s the sign-up.
Want to read more?