Here’s a DM I got the other day from a colleague who’s taking part in my Mindset and Clarity workshops at work:

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I found yesterday’s session especially helpful. 

Not exaggerating when I say it’s somewhat revolutionary to experience mindful listening without also feeling the background mental anxiety of having to figure out a response

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Reading that, I thought: 

Me too!

The workshops themselves are a good example of this.

The workshops are virtual. A couple of years ago, the idea of hosting weekly Zoom calls would’ve scared me shitless. Even just the thought of all eyes being on me would’ve kept me awake the night before (probably a few nights before if I’m being honest…).

But something has shifted in the last couple of years and it all goes back to the DM above:

I don’t feel the need to have it all figured out beforehand.

That’s not me saying I don’t prep the workshops. 

But there are always parts of the workshops where I have no idea what comment a colleague will make, what insight a colleague will share or what question a colleague will ask.

Then it’s over to me to respond with something vaguely coherent.

Try figuring that out beforehand!

But luckily enough, I don’t need to. I don’t need to “figure out” what I’m going to say because I know I’ll know what to say when I need to know it.

i.e. what I say comes from the moment.

So there’s no “background anxiety”, as my colleague put it above. I’m just as surprised by what I say as anyone else is. Which means I can take a chill pill, put my feet up and ease into whatever shows up, safe in the knowledge that it’s not ME presenting on the Zoom calls.

Sure, it’s my face on the screen. 

But the words aren’t coming from me. They’re coming through me. And for all intents & purposes, I’ve become more a participant in the workshops than their presenter.  

This is one of the reasons I love running the workshops.

It’s a bit like watching a TV show and chomping at the bit to find out what will happen next.

It’s also why I want to keep going with these workshops. I want to take them far and wide to other colleagues, companies and communities.

All of which is to say:

If your company or community would like a dose of calm, clarity and connection, just hit reply and we’ll take it from there.