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I was out for a run this morning and listening to one of my favorite podcasters, Marie Forleo, and an interview she was doing with the author of WorkParty. They discussed the author's failure with her first business, the lessons she’d learned along the way, and how she built her second company. The author’s determination, tenacity, and the desire to push forward were what I needed to hear about. I had been feeling out of sorts with myself and how the pace of my business was progressing.
My being out of sorts all started one evening during one of my Healing Through Horses Meetups. That evening there was only one person that RSVP’d to the Meetup. Although something told me to cancel, she was new, and I didn’t want to cancel and leave her hanging until the following week.
My first mistake was not listening to my gut – my gut told me to cancel. My second mistake was not listening to my gut again when I sat across from the attendee – my gut and chest were in turmoil, telling me something was afoot with this client, and something wasn’t right. I figured it was picking up on deep-rooted nervousness and proceeded to open the session. My usual question with new Meetup members is, what was it that brought you to join the Meetup and attend this evening? Alternatively, some variation of the question.
The response was a good clue as to what was afoot with the client. I proceeded in some basic, tried, and true Gestalt work with her until we eventually moved into a piece that is a higher level of grading; meaning, a more significant release of the past.
As we proceeded, things shifted, and then there was a complete shutdown from the client, and she no longer wanted to participate. After we’d been deep into the work, I found that her mental health was far beyond my scope of practice.
I learned some valuable lessons that day. First and foremost, to listen to my gut on another level. Second, to ask a few more questions before I work with someone new. Third, once I’ve established some clarity of a person's mental health, I can move forward into the deeper work.
What else I learned was that I was vulnerable to the ramblings of someone who needed much more help than I could provide. You see, this woman, let loose on me. The words were ugly, hateful, demeaning, and wounded the part of me that, at times, believes I’m not-good-enough.
The wound was buried, and it took me some time to divorce the stories I kept telling myself. Who am I to think I could help anyone? What in the world was I thinking about becoming a coach? What right did I have to be working in this field? The questions promoting self-doubt finally ceased. I climbed out of my toilet bowl, thinking, and was ready to re-write the story.
I was still out running when Marie’s podcast was completed, so I moved on to another favorite, Tony Robbins. I had heard Tony say these words before, “Divorce The Story and Marry The Truth.”
When I completed my run, I came into my office and wrote myself a note to write this blog and divorce the story and marry the truth.
Playing the negative aspects of the session over and over in my head wasn't helpful. What could I have done differently? Where did the session take a-turn? And more questions to help me get clear on my part of the session and hers too.
I realized that I was letting the words and ill will of another person pull me down, and I needed to stop the negative self-talk train. It was derailing me from my goals, dreams, and the purpose of sharing my gifts as a coach.
In writing this blog, I am marrying the truth.
I am damned good at what I do. I have had several opportunities where someone has attended the Meetup and walked away with tears of joy, feelings of accomplishment, a sense of purpose, a belief in themselves, answers for the next step, and more.
I have also coached private clients who also felt they achieved what they set out to accomplish with coaching. I have hosted workshops that people walked away from feeling renewed and energized.
I’m happy to say that I’ve come out on the other side of the story. I, once again, believe in my abilities as a coach. I am a woman with the personal power to accomplish what I desire.
I am putting coal in the engine again. The train moving A Tail of New Beginnings forward is me, and I won’t stop. I believe in the cause of women helping women. I believe in the women I want to support and the power of coaching.
I have personally experienced and witnessed how the partnering of horses and a coach can bring so much healing, and that in itself is truly inspiring.
Have you experienced a traumatic event that held you back or an event that kept you stuck? Perhaps another person's words have stuck in your subconscious, and they play over and over without your awareness. Alternatively, maybe, you hear the negative self-talk consistently and aren’t sure how to rid yourself of the Negative Nancy that keeps holding you hostage in self-doubt.
As always, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or feel free to email me and share your story.
In Health,
Vonie
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