It’s late tonight yet I’ve been stimulated to write a piece before going to sleep.
Yesterday, I facilitated my first full-day training in 18 months. Unsure whether or not I wanted to do that any longer, I sat with the invitation for a short time and felt it would be good for me to take it on. I’ve been feeling a shift for some time. Is the shift in doing completely different work or doing my work differently. This felt like an opportunity to explore that question.
The topic is right up my alley or at least my approach to it. The topic was on “building credibility and influence” which can’t happen without some inner journey of self-awareness. I said yes, the process unfolded, the manual and presentation came together and off I went.
A friend asked me what my opening line would be. I don’t have an opening line. I told her my intent was to be present, take a breath, be authentic, and speak from that place. The first thing I was inspired to speak to them about set the tone for the day.
Years ago, I came upon a quote from Emerson that has shaped my life. Actually, the quote hasn’t but me remembering it and living up to it to the best of my ability. The quote: “Who you are speaks so loudly I can not hear what you are saying”. That was the start of the day! i flashed back to speakers I’d met who didn’t fit my standard and felt energetically out of integrity. I got clear NOT to speak from that place. I once got to meet Virginia Satir and her presence was so astounding, I’ve never forgotten the experience. She looked at me on stage shaking her hand as if we were the only two people on the planet.
I met Leo Buscaglia in a mes’s restroom of all places and he was just as authentic as I hoped he would be. He wrote to me when I asked him a couple questions and sen=t me a copy of his book. I’ve had many models over the years of the power of authentic presence.
The training went well, very well actually, and the personal connection that flowed through the day along with the real questions people asked was energizing.
And that brings me to the purpose of this writing. My friend Helen used to be frustrated by how difficult it was for people to BE. She once told me that, “people are so busy doing and doing and doing, when they are left, all they have is a pile of do-do”. She suggested people would be much happier learning to “BE” and not constantly involved in “DOING”.
Recently, I came across the story of Anita Moorjani who battled lymphoma for four years before falling into a coma and winding up in the hospital for her final hours. Her family was told she might have 36 hours to life. During that time, Anita left her physical body and had a near death experience that transformed her life. When she decided to come back to her body, she was concerned about coming back to a body racked with disease and organ failure. She was told that wouldn’t be the case and her body would heal quickly.
And that is what happened. Her message: celebrate your own magnificence! Yesterday, during the training, the notion arose once again concerning criticism. Generally speaking, a person’s worst critic is themselves! if you don’t care for yourself, what are you spreading to other people? What impact are you having?
with that in mind, I’m posting an interview here from Anita along with her website. On the front page of her website is a video interview that is really good as well. One comment she shares in that interview has really struck me and stuck with me. Before her illness, she attempted to send love to everyone around her. Since her recovery, she doesn’t do that any longer. She directs love toward herself and it grows in such proportion, the overflow touches everyone around her. WOW! What an image and way to be in life!
There are many video’s on YouTube and I’ve selected a short one for you to get a taste of the experience.
Follow this link to her website: Anita Moorjani
Ciao….