Losing … and Gaining Ourselves

We all have our moments. We don’t show up fully, with all of our better qualities. Something throws us off, perhaps a surprise, perhaps something we came in worried about. 

Sometimes those moments persist. We hit a period in which we have more difficulty booting up, engaging what’s going on or otherwise bringing what we believe to be our “A game.” We feel smaller rather than bigger. My colleague and friend Valerie Livesay looked deeply into this as what some call “fallback,” or a loss of self. 

Valerie’s researched insights are fabulous and her personal exploration of what she’s studied are profound. I met her several years ago, and we found common cause in creating ways for people to access themselves more fully so that they can show up as they want in the various scenes of their lives. She has a new book coming out, and as part of the launch I will be joining to facilitate a 90-minute session on “noticing” inked to a chapter of her book. 

Noticing when we are on the brink of losing ourselves is best. Anticipating when that might happen helps, too. Taking moments to reflect retrospectively can help us with the noticing that we need. In the session, we’ll explore The Weekly Review, a format that I’ve been using with some coaching clients over the past couple of years. 

You can go HERE to learn more and to sign up for the free session with Val and me on November 1. There are other events related to the book, too. I’d be glad to see you.

As for my other studio work, I can report that I am in the middle of collaborations with colleagues both on Emergent Play and Adaptive Decisions. What will pop out of those is a bit far off, though both will be prominent for me at least through December. Glad to field inquiries about either.