The following article was written during Covid-19. Due to access issues, internet poverty, and an increased demand from other members of my family to access the home computer. I decided to reduce and remove myself from any unnecessary usage to free up connectivity at home. Therefore, this post is retrospective of a time now past. I tend to think about things in brackets, creating lists to tick to be as efficient and productive as I can be.  Unfortunately, in recent months, I have struggled to add new items to my to-do list.  This is in part due to the continued restrictions in Scotland due to the global pandemic, and perhaps more honestly, it’s due to not being able to get one big thing off my list.  For the past eighteen months, I have been engaged in writing my doctoral thesis.  The context is a reflective look back at the global financial crises of 2008 from an employee perspective.  The journey has become all-consuming, bracketing my time away from the things I want and loved to do. However, on Saturday the 28th of November, I was invited to attend the ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ Marist zoom gathering.  I thoroughly enjoyed the content, pace, and purpose of the gathering as it provided a much-needed break from the doctorate.  As with all things, Marist, attending this gathering would provide me with a very different perspective and a change in my mindset and approach to the successful delivery of the doctoral thesis. The last set of slides of the day presented by Tony Leon provided me with an answer to a question I did not ask.  Tony presented the differences between a finite and an infinite approach to play, the quote below presents this concept.

“There are at least two kinds of games.

One could be called finite, the other infinite.

A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,

an infinite game for the purpose of continuing to play”

By James P Carse.

My mindset before attending the gathering was primarily set in an [finite mode] bracketed by my desire to finish rather than to pursue an educational journey with an infinite desire to learn.  Remarkably post-gathering I immediately transposed my mindset and in doing so I have exponentially moved forward.  My infinite journey has opened new possibilities and holds enormous potential for the future.  On reflection, the Global Pandemic of 2020 gifted me with time, by restricting my movement and has enhanced my friendship with my Marist family near and far.  I feel so incredibly fortunate to have survived and thrived during these turbulent times.  Equally, I am also hopeful for the future and curious to learn how we adapt, improvise, and overcome the pandemic and build resilience into the New Year.