by Emily Hodge
…sometimes tricky and confusing. Am I right?
Below is a short film of me talking about coaching, therapy and support. Ok, so it’s a promotional tool, but I wanted to get a little ‘meta’ about it for a minute.
It took a good few hours to shoot. It took chopping and changing, some funny out-takes and a bit of frustration that I couldn’t say it right. It took planning and some tea breaks, and some editing (from my brother – thanks Ed!).
Isn’t it funny how sometimes you know what you want to say, it’s in your head but you can’t get it out how you want it? We have it all prepared, thought out, even scripted (gulp!) but it just doesn’t come out the way you wanted it?
It occurred to me that this is kind of like life itself. Oh, the metaphor! We think it’s going to be one way, had an idea of the route and path and who would be on it with us, and of how we’d like it to pan out, but the reality can be, well, different.
It can be brilliant, unexpected and glorious, like we may have hoped, or never even imagined. It can be equally strange or unwanted, causing us to look at our plans and expectations and re-think, re-write, re-route.
I’m fascinated by this second path. Not because I don’t like the brilliant one. Who wouldn’t?! No, I’m intrigued because this second path is what makes us human; more rounded and able to understand the good with the bad. It’s what makes us able to think on our feet and re-fashion a way of living – a come-back if you like – from something challenging and unexpected but that leads to something all the more enriched and enlightened.
Is this a ‘think positive’ mantra? Absolutely not. It’s not a soothing ‘everything will be fine’ I’m afraid either. It’s a realistic ‘no-one knows what on earth is going to happen’ and a tip towards the ‘what happens if we don’t know the outcome and want to be ok despite this?’. It’s a note to all those times we’ve not wanted to be in a situation but we are, and when we want it to change but it just won’t (yet).
Perhaps having to re-think, re-write or re-route is the scariest path there is, but when you’re already down it, how does it feel to take yourself along with it? What does it feel like to re-fashion something that is altogether different to what you expected, but at times manageable, acceptable or maybe even better?
You can also get in touch to contribute your story to the blog about your own challenging times and what gets you through.
I am looking forward to others blogging about there thoughts on anxiety issues. Specifically experiencing anxiety when outside of the "comfort zone". Although I have more success and hopes and plans than I ever have, I felt much more comfortable when I had none of these things.
Thank you Ed. Moving out of our comfort zone is hard, and pushing ourselves to our limits is often a test we might ‘fail’ at a few times before understanding our limit boundaries.
We have a great few contributions coming up from others keep a look out for them. It is such a pervasive subject, that touches all of us in many, and different, ways. Understanding what helps and supports ourselves and others can be a great starting point with anxiety related issues. Moving out of our comfort zone is hard, and pushing ourselves to the best of our limits is often a test.
All the best
Emily.