When you think of the elements, earth, air, fire and water, what do you think water is like? People often connect water with emotion. How changeable water can be, a gas, a liquid, a solid. Still or moving.
After so much rain I knew the river would be full of rushing water and it was, water moving faster than my camera speed, which is pretty fast. I find it beautiful. It's almost like a frost pattern in this photo (click to enlarge).
It got me thinking about the power and strength of emotion. We can get caught up in our emotions - and I admit that includes me- so that they persist and stick around, but the water here is moving so incredibly quickly and that's the potential for how we can work with and through emotion.
This next photo is of water in the same river dealing with an obstacle in its path.........
It just goes straight round it and carries on.
That's the possibility for us with our emotions - facing the obstacles in life, circumnavigating them rapidly and carrying on with one's course of action. It doesn't have to be long-winded, complicated or stuck. Emotional situations can be dealt with swiftly and life can move on.
If that doesn't seem possible get support, find someone to talk things through with: somehow find the energy for getting round the obstacle. I shifted something for myself this morning on a telephone conference call with Tony Burgess and Julie French (both contributors to 'Good Question!') and rapidly moved my thinking on a particular topic in a different way from what was possible in thinking on my own. I had a very helpful conversation with wealth Coach Judith Morgan which clarified a whole bunch of things. Later I talked to a friend about quite different topics and something shifted then in a very helpful way too. So the water I saw on my walk was in a way parallel with what I was up to in my inner life today.
And if you respond well to thinking in metaphors, as I do in this blog, you may find that working with 'Clean' Language is helpful for you. I use 'Clean Language' skills in my coaching by phone and face to face, and help people to find their own metaphors. Curious? Interested? What to know more? Do get in touch.
I'm running a special offer for readers of my blog in January and February, a discounted price for a Clean Coaching session. For a one-off session I would normally charge £97, but as an introduction to Clean I'm offering you a session of about 40 minutes for £50. If it helps you to make the changes you want to have happen as easily as the water moves around the boulder, it is worth it :-) you can ring me on 01314414099 or email me, judy@judybarber.net .
ps, if you have a copy of Good Question you'll find Wendy Sullivan's chapter on Clean Questions - entitled 'And What Would You Like to Have Happen?'
pps. Here’s what Deborah Mitchell, www.counsellingandrelationships.co.uk said about her session yesterday:
‘Your style is beautiful. The tone of your voice is soft and very helpful, and the pace is just right. I really appreciated it when you reflected back my own key words to me and that helped me to stay with my own train of thinking. Everything you did was spot on. If I could work in the way you work with clean language I’d be very pleased.'
I love the water 'metaphor'and the way you relate it to emotions. Another water metaphor that I have found very useful over the years is that when I find life difficult and a struggle it might mean that I am clinging to a rock by my fingernails, trying to fight against the flow of the river. I could look at things differently, stop fighting, release my grip to how I think things should be, and go with the flow. Then I might find a different persepctive, things may come to me easily along the way, along with new vistas and new experiences.
Thank you Judy, for reminding me of this!
Posted by: Mary Lunnen | January 22, 2008 at 11:36