A client said the nicest thing to me recently: “You turned a light on in my attic.”
Sometimes someone else just nails it: Sums up what you do in a succinct, totally relatable way.
(Thank you, dear client! I love you and am totally honored to have worked with you!)
I’m starting to think about re-vamping my website, so I’ve been really trying to distill what I do and why I do it so I can convey it in a handful of paragraphs. Even though I don’t feel ‘ready’ to deal with the logistics of re-creating my website, it’s all I want to think about! So, in this newsletter, I’m going to honor that desire and get some thoughts down on paper.
(I was also inspired to think about plain-language ways to talk about my point of view by this interview I did with the lovely Brooke Thomas of Fascia Freedom Fighters.)
And really, the basis of what I do as a coach is all about seeing.
Seeing where your operating system has some glitches. Seeing how you shut down, lash out, or hide. Seeing how it feels when you do something different. Seeing new possibilities. Seeing yourself as fundamentally good, lovable, enough (which, for the majority of us, is not typically the way you see yourself deep down).
Buddhists refer to this process as “making friends with yourself.” And it just can’t happen if you don’t give yourself permission to really observe the thoughts, behaviors, and feelings that your subconscious mind would really rather distract you from. Or if you don’t give yourself the space and time to entertain an alternate view. Of if you don’t ask the questions that can zing right through your mental filters and get a response from that wisest part of yourself that is always in touch with your personal Truth.
It’s a process. In that way, it’s not just like flipping a switch. You’ve got to practice turning on that light in your attic again and again. You’ve got to trust that the very act of observing what you’re up to will help you change what you do enough to get the results you want. Because: If you want different results, you’ve got to take different actions. Like, really. Every day. (Click to Tweet!)
It doesn’t happen overnight.
But in a lot of ways, change is just like flipping a switch, in that whenever you get stuck or feel adrift, all you have to do is turn on a light in your mind and allow yourself to see what needs to be seen. Life feeling hard or seemingly shitty things happening is just another layer that’s ready to be seen. It’s just a reminder from Life itself that it’s time to do something else just a little differently.
I can tell you that when you commit to this practice of seeing, at times it will feel like a long haul, but at some point, it will start to feel like “Wow.” Dots will connect, new ways of being will settle into your bones, and it will feel like lightning has just struck, even though you’ve been working toward this a while.
It’s my goal to use these posts to share ways to see yourself clearly, and with love. You may get just exactly what you need from them, incorporating what works for you and easing on down the road.
Or you may need a little more to really put them into practice – a little more support, insight, accountability, objectivity. If you feel like the light in your attic is stuck in the off position, or doesn’t have a strong enough bulb, I can be a resource for you. We can schedule a no-cost initial call to see what’s ready to be seen, and what will be possible when you do. Simply reply to this email – I’m a real person on the other end of your inbox! – and we can set something up.
For everyone reading this, thanks for being along for the ride. Here’s to enjoying the view. =)
