The art of being merry
As the year winds down, we offer you a playful reminder of the 5 Pillars of Emotional Fitness and through this light-hearted summer story, may you find joy in the art of simply being.
As we come to the end of another year, we want to express our gratitude to you for being part of our community and journeying with us through 2024. This is our final issue of Enabling the How for the year, and we hope it brings you a smile and a moment of reflection.
The holidays are a chance to embody, practice and cultivate the 5 Pillars of Emotional Fitness — by thinking lightly, feeling deeply, moving joyfully, nourishing your mind and body, and relating meaningfully. To celebrate this ending, we’re sharing a story-poem that captures the warmth, humor, and essence of a South African summer.
May it inspire you to embrace the art of being merry and set the tone for a joyful 2025.
Laugh, live, and let go
The year wound down under a blazing sun,
With flip-flops, cold drinks, and plans to have fun.
Jon sprawled on his stoep, a hat on his brow,
“December already? What happens now?”He thought of the months, how they zoomed and they spun,
the moments half-finished, the goals left undone.
So with a grin and a shrug, he decided to see
What this holiday season might bring to his spree.He started by watching the clouds in the sky.
His thoughts fluttered past like birds flying by.
“Why dwell on ‘should-haves’ or thoughts that constrain?
I’ll swap old worries for new ways to train.”So he picked up a book he had meant to explore,
A fact here, a story there — his mind begged for more.
With each little learning, his brain felt less tight,
Like opening windows to let in the light.Next came his heart, a jumble of feels,
some as warm as the sand, some like slipping on eels.
Joy bubbled up, then a pang of regret,
But Jon thought, “That’s fine — no need to forget.”He breathed in the breeze, let it swirl through his chest,
“I’ll feel what I feel, it’s all for the best.”
A wave of relief, like a dip in the pool,
“Turns out letting go is surprisingly cool.”He stretched and he yawned, then jumped to his feet,
“Enough sitting around in this blistering heat!”
He danced through the sprinklers, he jogged down the street,
His toes tapping rhythms to an invisible beat.His limbs felt alive, his thoughts cleared of fog,
“Who knew I’d feel great just by walking the dog?”
So he played, skipped, and moved — no more stiff as a plank,
And left all his worries in dust on the bank.The sun high above, he prepared a grand feast,
Tomatoes, some cheese, and a braai for the beast.
He filled up his plate with good things to devour,
Then took a deep breath and gave thanks for the hour.“I’ll savor each bite, not just shovel it in,
Even pudding tastes better when patience begins.”
He laughed with his friends, each bite a delight,
“Who knew self-care could taste this right?”As evening drew near, and the sun dipped down low,
Jon thought of the people who helped him to grow.
The laughs with old mates, the hugs from his gran,
Even chats with the stranger who fixed his sedan.He sent out a message, “Hey, thanks for this year,
”A few words of kindness to bring someone cheer.
“Turns out that sharing’s the best gift to give,
Connecting with others is how we all live.”So Jon closed his eyes, his heart light and free,
The year’s ups and downs now part of the sea.
He whispered a wish for the months still ahead,
“May I think, feel, and move with courage,” he said.“May I nourish my soul, may I cherish my friends,
And roll with the waves that life always sends.
For if there’s one thing this hot year has shown,
It’s that joy comes from feeling — not thoughts overblown.”So here’s to the summer, the braais, and the cheer,
To living, to laughing, and a bright new year.
May your heart be light and your worries take flight,
Happy holidays to all, and to all a good night!
As the sun sets on this year and rises on the next, may you find joy in small moments, comfort in connection, and the courage to simply be. Whether it’s a laugh shared with friends, a dance through the sprinklers, or a quiet moment of gratitude, may you embrace each step of the journey — one feeling, one thought, one moment at a time.
From all of us at 5th Place, thank you for sharing this journey. We look forward to more steps together in 2025.
Until next time.
Yours in feeling,
Chantal & Matthew
Credits for this issue — Images: Midjourney & 5th Place
Written by
Chantal Dawtrey
Supporting women, especially in midlife and beyond, to navigate life transitions · Emotional fitness coach
Chantal supports women, especially in midlife and beyond, to navigate life transitions. She designs and delivers data informed digital programmes that build organisational emotional fitness. She helps people move beyond habitual patterns into greater awareness, agency, and well being.
With over 15 years of coaching experience and more than two decades in facilitation and human development, Chantal partners with individuals, teams, and organizations to build emotional resilience, enhance self-awareness, and develop sustainable well-being strategies.
Her primary focus as a coach is supporting women, especially those in their 50’s and beyond, to navigate profound life transitions with clarity, steadiness and self-reconnection. Finding answers to questions about identity, purpose, belonging and desire to an emergence, a reclamation and a return to self.
If you're going through a transition and would like support, let's talk.
Matthew Green
Reducing the Certainty Deficit in high-performing people and teams · Emotional fitness coach
Matthew works with athletes, performance teams, and anyone who wants to reduce the Certainty Deficit in their situation or context.
The Certainty Deficit is the space between what you can do and what your body will let you do when it counts. It is context-specific and situational. A person or athlete can have zero deficit in one situation and a significant one in another.
The body holds beliefs that keep the Certainty Deficit in place. These beliefs run deeper than self-talk and faster than any conscious strategy. When they shift, the ceiling shifts, and new possibilities arise.
Matthew is also an emotional fitness coach who supports individuals to live and lead from a place of inner clarity and stability. The work is somatic-first, practical, and grounded.
If you're seeing a pattern that current approaches haven't shifted, let's talk.
My origin story: Why elite athletes underperform when it counts
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