I am doing a talk tomorrow for my old coaching school, Animas Centre for Coaching.
It popped into my mind that I did a podcast episode for them, some time in the distant past.
Turns out it was back in 2019! A few lifetimes ago, as it happens.
As I listened back, I was struck by two things:
many of the external plans didn't materialise in the way that I'd imagined;
but everything I described about my way of working and seeing the world rings as true today as it did back then.
Maybe that's obvious, at some level; plans change, people don't.
But it's more than that.
I actually found it incredibly heartening to really see myself, to recognise a continuity of thinking, and to see my values shine through.
It can be so easy to pick the version of the story where there's lack, failure, disappointment. (Well, for me it is!)
But as I watched this episode back I was really taken by the pleasure of noticing,
Of course that makes sense for me; of course I needed to drop that work and follow my gut; of course I followed the feels to direct me exactly to this point in my life.
What does it mean - to trust oneself - after all, if not to have the courage to drop a really good plan because it doesn't quite f.e.e.l right.
And as I sit here now, on the eve of talking to other Animas alumni about an iteration of my work that I'm so passionate about, I feel a deep gratitude. What a gift it's been to unearth this time capsule and see all of the plans that didn't materialise in order that all of this gorgeous stuff could. And I get to live a life that feels congruent and truly makes sense to me.
If you're a recovering control freak, like me, then maybe this might encourage you to start relinquishing some of that control in favour of trusting to the flow of life, allowing space for some adventure and surprise to emerge. It's more a fun ride, believe me!
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And for those left wondering, I DID finish the book, and am very proud of the lovely piece of work that my co-author and I did. If creativity is an interest area - for you or your cients - you can grab a copy here.
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