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The Big Question: How do you plan to practice self love and personal sustainability this year?

Keeping myself and my family healthy and happy is a real prerequisite to doing a good job as a Mayor.

Often my job involves meeting communities at positive events. Enjoying the celebrations for the reconsecration of the Newlands Hindu temple with dancing, song and feasting enlarges my understanding and is hugely positive. Similarly the Season of Light Interfaith Concert at St Andrews on The Terrace draws on the shared hopes for peace and understanding, underpinned with drumming, choral pieces and wise words from a variety of traditions. Our Christmas lunch was shared with the Salvation Army lunch for people who are alone, homeless or somehow in need of fellowship at Christmas. Serving food, sitting with people who were on the tough end of life, washing up afterwards, made one of the most meaningful Christmases I’ve ever enjoyed.

When we are debating matters that are really important such as a Living Wage for employees, a significant new asset for the city like the Memorial Park Te Pukeahu, new cycle facilities or the proposed Film Museum, it’s great to feel one’s job align with personal motivations and that the line between personal and political, between aspirations and daily work is erased.

Opening the Newtown Park Flats, the award-winning Oruaiti Reserve, the Karori Recreation Centre solar panels give a great sense that the purpose of local government – the fulfilment of local need – is being achieved. Our role to be a great environment for good business gets a boost when we hear about Wellington having the most successful fast-growing IT companies in NZ.

It’s not all sunshine though. Sometimes negative letters, email, tweets and press can be a burden and, while no doubt we do need to improve in some areas, allegations of “evil motives” are sometimes extraordinarily discourteous. I don’t brush them off but try to address the underlying issue politely but that’s the time I need some R&R!

We have a home overlooking the Cook Strait and sitting in our wood–fuelled hot tub looking at the Milky Way glorious in the southern skies reminds me to be joyful to be alive.

It’s the little things … Find out what Celia does after hours to relax by joining Club Happyzine and receiving our member’s ezine this Friday featuring exclusive stories about New Zealand’s most inspiring leaders.  Find out more!

Tags: celia wade-brown, leadership, self love