The past couple of weeks could be described as a wild ride, a messy complex season or the storm before the calm… so this blog is a little overview to share the journey…
I must confess, I’m sensing a little challenge around writing - what to say when I know I’m on the verge of an incredible shift, and how do I keep it brief! I see things coming together that previously seemed to be random or insignificant moments… This makes more sense in light of the training I’m doing at the moment - Theoretical Foundations of Coaching.
Last week we studied Systems Theory, which includes Chaos Theory and Complexity Theory - we see that a small, apparently random thought or action can lead to substantial change.
When considering the complex systems that we are as individuals, and interacting with other complex systems I noticed the influence that a small change makes - for example a smile, an encouraging word or expression.
Lyndon and I were discussing on the way home (from Melbourne on Monday/Tuesday) how “seemingly random events and people we’d met” in previous years have directly resulted in us being in this place at this time, at a powerful turning point in our business. Connecting with people, self education and business education pays off in ways usually completely beyond us!
So the significance of many moments would fill a book, so for now - a few moments and pictures to share…
With a shocking head cold, but determined mind, I set off to Orange last Wednesday at 6.30am with Karen and Sam from 10X Central West to hear Kerri Pottharst, Olympic Gold Medalist, Mary Brell, and other inspiring women speak at a Business Women’s event. I had connected with Kerri previously through a friend and she’d asked me to bring a copy of my journal for her, which made my day. (I love the thought of big thinkers using it to continue to think big and achieve!) She spoke about her goals and when they were so challenging to achieve, (especially when recovering from injuries) and the importance of self-belief. Inspiring Lady! We can learn so much from elite athletes whether we’re sporty or not.
It was also exciting to share the day with someone who’s a significant part of my story - my first Coach, and Coach Trainer, Georgia Lush. Georgia was the Global Head of Training for Results Coaching Systems and I connected with her in 2004, driving to Orange each week for coaching until she convinced me to try phone coaching! The rest is history! Georgia has since had two gorgeous babies and is stepping back into the coaching world and making a bigger difference in people’s lives. Go Girl!
We arrived home from Orange around 6pm for me to jump out of Karen’s car into ours and head off towards Melbourne with Lyndon. Staying in West Wyalong overnight gave us a head start the next day and we took our time, being tourists and enjoying the sights along the way… It’s a new habit - rather than racing to be somewhere I make sure I enjoy the journey and learn along the way.
Meeting up with Results Coaching colleague Andrew Mowat was exciting, but going through a box of tissues every few hours took the edge off the fun. Fortunately facebook, twine and twitter keep us connected and sharing the journey of discovery about the internet and our shared fascination with the brain and neuroleadership. Andrews work from Victoria to Dubai and London makes our travels look more like the occasional Sunday Drive!
The big reason for our trip (and the outcomes) is going to take more than a paragraph, so I shall write more over the next few days, leaving you now with a quote that I keep coming back to…
“Each new friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”
- Anais Nin