BE WITH YOUR EMOTIONS

Here's a great distinction that I want to share with you. It has it's roots in Buddhism and has an important message for us all. I love it and it's something I think you'll really enjoy too.

So often when we feel negative emotions we describe them as if they were part of our identity. I often hear patients describe themselves by saying for example; "I am depressed" or "I am angry." These are identity statements and make it sound as if the emotion is all that they are. Someone who describes themselves as a depressive is so much more than their depression, likewise one who says "I am sad," has much more to them than their sadness.

Think instead of being with the emotion rather than being the emotion itself. For example, "I am with anger" makes the distinction between the person and the emotion much clearer. It also makes it easier to let go of the emotion and heal yourself.

This is a subtle distinction but sometimes that's all it takes to set someone back on track. When many of us have problems it's as if we are a stick that's floating down the river of life and become temporarily stuck. We don't need years of therapy - all most of us need is a little nudge. Think of coaching as that little nudge.

MAKING BIG CHANGES

Big changes are happening for me right now - and I'm very excited to tell you about them.
For the last year and a bit I have been running an NLP training company with my friend and business partner. We've decided to call it a day and go our separate ways which frees me up to lots of really exciting possibilities.

I'm directing my energies to doing what I love - coaching. I'll still be a six session partner in my practice, that's not going to change, but when not there I'll be coaching individual doctors rather than running NLP courses. I feel that coaching has so much to offer the medical profession and I have a burning desire to share this with my colleagues.

The decision to make this change hasn't been an easy one but I am sure that it is the right one. My challenge now is to enable my colleagues to understand the benefits of coaching. Being coached has made a huge difference to me, not just in what I have achieved but more importantly in whom I have become.

I feel happier and more authentic now than I have ever been. The road ahead will certainly contain many challenges but I am very clear about my destination and feel certain I am going to enjoy the journey.

ANTICIPATION AND INSPIRATION!

So it's Friday again already and the week seems to have gone really quickly. I'm sat, as I usually am on a Friday morning, in the lounge of my health club, sippping a latte and tapping this out on my laptop. I don't need to get to the surgery quite so early on Fridays so I stop off here on the way in. It means I can take advantage of the free wi-fi here as the ancient browser at the surgery doesn't support the Blogger site.

I'm off up to London tomorrow to a workshop run by one of my very favourite coaches - Michael Neill. those of you who follow this blog will doubtless have heard mention of him before. He is excellent and his coaching approach has really inspired and influenced the way that I coach my own clients. He's a lovely guy too, I met him back in 2009 when I attended a course he was running.

Tomorrow's workshop is co-hosted by Robert Holden, whom I haven't met or heard speak before but I've just started reading one of his books. More of that in a later blog.

Knowing that I was going to this workshop tomorrow has been great as it's given me something to look forward to all week. I'm all for that, I like to set up a constant series of things like that, that I'm really looking forward to. They can be very small things but anticipating them, just knowing that I've got them to look forward to, really adds to my week. In this way I get to enjoy them all not once but three times:
   Once - when I'm looking forward to them - really visualising how it's going to be.
   Second time - when I'm there, really enjoying it in the present.
   Thirdly, afterwards; looking back, reflecting on what I most enjoyed, what I learned,who I met etc.

I'm still in touch with three of the people I met on the 2009 course and continue to be inspired by their work too. Coaching has taught me many things and one of the most important has been to be open to new experiences. Doctors in general tend to hold quite fixed views about certain areas and perhaps aren't quite as willing and open as some groups of people to listen to new concepts, new ways of thinking. Maybe it's the scientific background, I don't know, but with this in mind I'll be telling you next week all about the book I'm currently just finishing as it certain fits into the category of challenging conventional views of life!

So have a great weekend. Enjoy all that you have and keep your eye out for inspiration - it's all around you once you start to look.

NEW WEEK, NEW START, NO LIMITS

The last year or so has been really exciting. As well as continuing to work as a part-time GP I've been working hard to establish my NLP Training business, NLP4MEDICS. I love doing this but it has meant I've spent less time doing the thing I really love doing and that is individual coaching. That is all about to change.

Whilst I've continued to coach during this last year I've only taken on a small handful of clients. We've had some excellent results working together. Coaching never feels like work, it feels like a privilege and an opportunity for me to learn from some amazing, inspirational people. The thought of doing more of this fills me with energy, joy and excitement.

Coaching is wonderful. It's an opportunity to achieve things you didn't think you were capable of achieving. With the help of a coach you will not only reach your potential but often far exceed it.

"The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves."
Bob Proctor

The limits are coming off and I'm ready for anything. I'm going to be using this blog to explore resources and concepts that have helped me in my personal journey. I've found them really inspirational and exciting and I hope you will too.

So if you're thinking about coaching or just want to share ideas and thoughts then you're in the right place. Why not sign up for regular updates and share this page with your friends?