Yesterday, I presented an analogy comparing The Nutcracker to cybersecurity.
But here’s the thing: while crafting metaphors and drawing parallels is part of what I do, there was another, far deeper lesson I walked away with - a reminder I didn’t know I needed.
Work is what we do.
We drive forward, we build, we strategise.
But sometimes, we need to park the car and just be.
Sitting in the audience at the English National Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, I caught myself watching something even more beautiful than the performance itself: my daughter’s face.
She was completely captivated.
The joy, the wonder, the awe - it was all there, and it struck me that moments like these are fleeting.
The world moves fast, but these moments, when you stop to take them in, slow everything down.
And that’s the reminder.
It’s not about the show; it’s about the experience.
It’s about being present.
It’s about soaking in the joy of now and recognising that some of the greatest moments aren’t found in what you achieve but in what you observe and share.
Watching The Nutcracker was brilliant.
But watching my daughter watching The Nutcracker?
That was priceless.
For all the fathers, mothers, and busy professionals out there - don’t forget to stop and enjoy the now.
These moments might feel small, but they’re the ones that stay with you forever.