Do you know that we’re the only species that shows positive emotions by bearing our teeth?
Well, as far as we know, at least… I suspect this is not an easy thing to research. I’m picturing the Gary Larson social anthropologists and biologists getting themselves into dangerous situations with a lot of very weird creatures, all in the name of finding out whether they’re expressing happiness, warmth and kindness when they’re bearing their teeth!
Anyway, I don’t really agree with this claim
One of the first “therapeutic skills” I was taught as a Social Worker was called “normalization.” Basically, this so-called “skill” involved saying to someone who’s just told you about some of the difficult emotions and reactions that they struggle with, “It’s really normal to feel/ respond that way” (or some variation on that theme). Boy did me and my classmates have a hoot, “normalizing” everything each other said over the next few weeks… and coming up with statements that definitely aren’t normal, just because we knew someone would “normalize” us (“Gee, ever since I wrote that psych stats exam, I’ve had a strange desire to shag our lecturer…”).
You’re so diligent, responsible and mature – reading blogs like this, and thinking about how to progress your life and how to unleash your potential and all. You take life kinda seriously, don’t you?
Yeah, I know… me too.
And sometimes that’s the reason you and I get stuck. We stopped playing. Remember playing…?
So this week, leading your life is all about remembering what you loved doing as a child.
One of the serious benefits of doing the work I do is that I get to witness people’s stories. I get to see and hear their process of visioning, struggling, reviewing, refining, questioning, doubting themselves, dealing with their fears, and making sense of it all along the way. Which means I learn loads through them. So I guess you could say that I’ve gained a lot of life experience vicariously, through my clients. And I’m super-grateful for the ways that has enriched my life, not just my coaching practice.
So I got to thinking the other day, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could share these experiences with other people – so they could also learn vicariously?!” And so I’m going to be peppering this blog with true stories of everyday heroes and heroines who are dealing with their own resistance, showing up, expressing themselves and making their contribution, in spite of their fears. If you know people you think should be featured, drop me an email – I’d love to hear their story.
So you’re trying to figure out what’s important to you and WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE… Such H-E-A-V-Y stuff!
And if you’re a Gen-X or Gen-Y member, then you’ve probably been told that you must find “meaning” in your work, and you must be doing what you *love,* in order to be happy. Aargh! Extra pressure!
And the worst part is when you read those personal development books about finding your passion, and they say, “Here’s 3 steps to doing what you were born to do: 1.) List 3 things you’re good at, 2.) List 3 things you love doing. 3.) Make a business out of that.