Coaching Wizardry

People around the world are talking and writing about the environment today.  I’m one of them.

One of the things I want to try and say is that paying attention to the world that we live in, not taking things for granted, being mindful - well that’s a key shift that will help us to do the things we need to do, say the things that we need to say, learn the things that we need to learn.

But sometimes my own words seem too small in the face of something so important.  So I thought I’d share a poem that to me is all about being mindful, being grateful for the resources that we have, paying attention to the wonders of this most amazing world that we are blessed with the chance to live in.

The Sun

Have you ever seen
anything
in your life
more wonderful

than the way the sun,
every evening,
relaxed and easy,
floats toward the horizon

and into the clouds or the hills,
or the rumpled sea,
and is gone–
and how it slides again

out of the blackness,
every morning,
on the other side of the world,
like a red flower

streaming upward on its heavenly
oils,
say, on a morning in early summer,
at its perfect imperial distance–
and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love–
do you think there is anywhere, in any language,
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure

that fills you,
as the sun
reaches out,
as it warms you

as you stand there,
empty-handed–
or have you too
turned from this world–

or have you too
gone crazy
for power,
for things?

The Sun by Mary Oliver is a contribution to Blog Action Day: a world-wide conversation on the environment.

I mentioned the other day that there had been lots of cross-over between some of the themes and ideas that I’ve been exploring here and the work I’ve been doing over at Confident Writing - not least the relevance of one of the most popular quotes from Coaching Wizardry:

"find out who you are and do it on purpose".

The more I explore the writing work the more I realise there’s a coaching dimension behind it all - overcoming fears and lack of confidence; tapping into our motivation, purpose and intention; and moving out of our comfort zones. 

I’m also learning from the search terms from both sites and how I can apply the lessons from one set of searches to inform the other. 

For example

"slow down, you move too fast"

is something I talked about here several months ago in relation to the changing pace of city life, but people keep on arriving by typing in those terms - and it keeps on making me think about the value of slowing down (when you’re moving too fast) - and how we can apply that approach to help us write with clarity and confidence too. 

Anyway, crossing back over the other way I was focusing last month on writing with authenticity - and how writing can maybe help us towards a more authentic life.  I used the conversation to write an e-book (my first) and I figured it might be of interest to readers here too - not least as it quotes the great Dolly Parton a couple of times!

You can download it here - let me know what you think, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

I haven’t been writing much here of late, and for those of you who’ve been regular readers and loyal followers from the start, well I’m sorry that I haven’t found the time, or the stories or the words to start the conversation again before now.

Truth is I’ve been writing like a crazy woman over at my Confident Writing blog and it’s left little time and energy for reflecting and sharing here.  There are things over there that I think you’d enjoy reading – things that reflect some of the themes I’ve been exploring here too – and I was tickled to find that one of my centre posts in the month long exploration of authentic writing was finding out who you are and doing it in purpose…

But there was something about this shift in focus, purpose and direction that I wanted to chew over here.  It was something I read the other day at Joyful Jubilant Learning (another place I’m now writing, and another reason for some of the radio silence here).  The words went like this:

Making a difference is about picking your spot.  It’s about knowing confidently what’s the right spot for you by believing in yourself.  It’s hitting the target dead-centre, finding your niche in life, relationships and work, and hanging on for the roller-coaster ride!

It struck me because I know, sense, feel that I’m tapping into a lot more energy, creativity and inspiration by narrowing my focus, by concentrating on one core purpose: coaching people to write with confidence

But it also reminded me that picking your spot takes some courage, some conscious, explicit decision to turn your attention away from all the other things that are calling to you, that you could spend your time on, that might be fun to explore, that are worthy causes for you to commit to. 

And sometimes you need nudges, reminders, pointers, permission maybe that say: it’s okay to narrow your focus, to turn your attention away from everything else.

Walking outside gives me some of those nudges.  Reading gives me some more.  This time I’d been reading some bright thoughts over at Sylvia’s place.  She was talking about this very thing – and quoting one of my favourite poets, Mary Oliver.

"One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began."

And I don’t know about you but sometimes these small, seemingly insignificant signals can be enough: to affirm our decision, to give us the confidence to make our decision, to move on.  These words helped me – and when I read the whole poem – The Journey -  I recognised the deeper meaning, the bigger sense of permission that I was seeking, and needed to give myself.

Here’s how it ends:

But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.

I don’t know about you but sometimes I need words – a fragment, a poem, to show me the way, to open the door to new possibilities, to give me much needed permission, to wake me up.

Because sometimes when we know that we’re ready - well sometimes that’s all that it takes.

Joanna Young is a writing coach who loves exploring the power of words to change our worlds, to transform our experience of reality.   You can read more of her writing and find out how to work with Joanna at her Confident Writing blog.