What if There is Nothing Wrong with You?

February 25, 2022
What if There is Nothing Wrong with You?

I’ve had the privilege of meeting new clients regularly this year, and often what comes up is something they want to ‘fix’ about themselves. As we begin to reflect and listen deeply, it fairly soon becomes apparent that the thing they have been told was wrong with them all these years, is actually related to their true source of power. For instance, a young man has not only been tagging buildings in France, but has been filming himself doing it! The remarkable thing is, he seemed unable to quit, and in fact started getting more and more creative in his ‘art’.

Fast forward and he is now a world-famous artist, bringing new perspectives to places all over the world that are stuck, or where people are struggling with poverty or violence. More about that later.

As we begin to understand ourselves and each other as being built for something unique, we may begin to understand the nature of where we struggle, and why. When I was young, I could not stay away from dogs. It drove my mom nuts. And here I am well into my life and dogs have taught me almost everything important that I know in my heart. I intuitively ‘get’ dogs, and always have. I’ve made my living from them, been coached by them, and loved them.

Yet I was told often that if I was serious about coaching, I should give up all this dog business. The common-sense notion was I needed to maintain a complete focus on coaching to be successful. I resisted that advice, and have thrived in my coaching, as well as my dog showing and grooming. My best stories and metaphors are insights I’ve received from my interactions and observations with dogs.

So, next time you are critical of yourself, ask yourself if this is something that might, in fact, be worth exploring rather than getting rid of. I’ve worked with clients who thought they were overly emotional, only to find out they could read the energy from a person or a room like they had ESP. Or someone for whom injustice can bring on physical illness, only to find out they are wired for fairness and inclusion. Try it. And in the meantime, please consider watching this link to a TED talk from the artist, JR, I referenced above. His art and his story are inspiring people all over the world, not just because it is beautiful, but because it causes us to change the narrative in places that are stuck. The longer version can be seen as a documentary on MSNBC called Paper and Glue.

https://www.nbc.com/paper-glue/video/paper-glue/8000005142

Documentary, 1 hour, 34 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAy1zBtTbw,

Paper and Glue TED Talk, 24 minutes