I wrote a blog for the mishfit website a little over two years ago in amongst the messy grief following Charles’ death. (You can read it HERE if you don’t know that whole story.) Reading it back now it feels very much like I was laying my grief out there for all to read and somehow hoping that in the process I would be able to figure out what the hell had just happened.
There have been a whole bunch of studies done on the power of writing out your thoughts. Try googling it.
But let me tell you about why I do it to see if that speaks to you. I dream like a mad-woman. I’m as busy in my dreams as I am in my day. And I remember pretty much every day what I’ve dreamt the night before. I can wake up in tears, shaking with fear, laughing or in shock. But I always dream. And because of the way dreams work it often triggers stuff that I need to work through. I write it down. And if I’ve had an argument with Andrew or I’m worried about the children or I’m exploring something for my business. I write them down too.
There is a wealth of science out there that supports why meditation is a good thing. Feel free to google, or just read this for a quick flavour of the stuff that’s out there.
Meditation has a long and complicated history via a couple of religions or philosophies. Here’s a link to a great timeline for anyone who wants more history detail.
The change process, the coaching journey…whatever you want to call what we do as I walk alongside you, is a tricky balancing-act. I’m going to be totally honest with you. Sometimes it gets messy. Emotionally challenging. We get into a whole bunch of stuff that sometimes we’d probably rather ignore, or at least pretend aren’t part of the puzzle.
You know how I have been saying for the last few weeks that change is hard? And that it works best when there’s a method in there somewhere? And most importantly of all, that once all the foundations have been laid with regards to values, visions and intentions then the magic only really happens when there’s action?
In my old corporate HR world I was all about my ‘five-year plan’ and having a set of very clear goals to work towards. I’ve even used goals A LOT in my Personal Training business – both personally and with my clients. If you’ve ever joined a gym you’ll be used to being asked what your fitness goals are. One of Nike’s adverts:
I was explaining in last week’s blog that becoming a better human was very much an inside job. It takes a lot of self work. It’s a process of introspection, increasing your self-awareness and figuring out some honest answers to some tough questions.
My take on coaching – what it is (really) and what is really isn’t. Why I think it works and why I believe in it.
If you’re thinking Football Coach, this article probably isn’t what you were searching for. I’m talking about the kind of coach that is a support and guide, voice of wisdom and person who holds a space for you while you figure out what you want, then walks alongside you on that journey.
I’ve had this one in me for a fair few months now.
It’s been going round and round, percolating if you like. And I think it’s been particularly slow in the writing because it’s quite literally something that I’ve been really challenged by personally since all of the woo-ha last year.
If you’ve read anything I’ve written you’ll know it always comes straight from my heart. Every time I put fingers to keyboard or pen to paper (I still love writing the old-fashioned way) it’s a mixture of information sharing, motivational message and therapy (for me)! Sometimes it feels like I almost give birth to the pieces I write, and that’s why I think it sometimes takes a while for posts to come, the words and thoughts have to brew for a while in my over thinking mind. I’m always brutally honest and I often over-share, and this one is no different.