which was to help me get clearer about my purpose.
Well, that happened, but what also happened there was a pleasant
experience of beginner’s mind.
Not only was I being viewed by new eyes, I was viewing the other 19
fabulous women there with my unbiased eyes. It is wired into our brains to scan for
possible ‘predators’ whenever we enter our surroundings. We then catalogue or categorize our findings as a way of determining how to proceed in the situation. It was fun to observe us introduce ourselves to ‘strangers.’ There was plenty of ‘what do you do?’ and ‘where are you from?’ and a whole lot of visual scanning in order for us to be able to sketch a profile of each other. All of this is in a very sincere effort to accommodate one another and make each other feel safe and
comfortable. You may have been in a new social situation where there was a whole lot of puffing up and strutting happening as a way to dominate or intimidate, but the opposite of that was going on where I was.
It was refreshing to be looked at without the filter of roles or the past and it was also very refreshing to look at others with no past experience filter. I started out the weekend
feeling a bit vulnerable, but most definitely open. Throughout the workshop and socializing, I was accepted, then heard, then encouraged to the point where I saw myself as not only capable, but interesting and because of the masterful faciliting of Word Wizard – Alexandra Franzen (check her out!) I saw myself all the way to being limitless! I watched as all of the women
experienced this journey.
I discussed this with one of my clients, this experience of seeing and being seen outside of our ‘regular’ lives. We discussed how it’s great to be expanded and then return to a place that no longer, quite fits. How the change to everything around us is inevitable.
Then, I discussed the experience with my coach.
She very wisely steered me to realize that it is me and my filters that have the most influence on the way I see myself and the way I ‘think’ others are perceiving me. When I see myself
as ‘just’ a mom, or ‘just’ a wife, or tell you I’m ‘just’ a coach, it is I that is preventing the full expanse/possibility of who and how I am.
This is mask wearing. Masking me from the world and the world from me.
‘looks like I may be getting clearer about my purpose.
This is a link to Alexandra and if you scroll to the bottom, you can read about the workshop.
http://www.alexandrafranzen.com/2013/02/11/5-ways-to-write-a-blow-your-mind-manifesto/