Monday, May 28, 2007

Upcoming project: Home Office

Looks like the volume of my work is increasing and I need additional space for my one on one coaching. I will need a dedicated space for a home office now, and the only place that fits my requirement would be my current walk in wardrobe. I may need to move that to the third room. Major cleanup would be needed, and I will need to remove 2 cupboards from there. This would be interesting...

Weekends are for recharging the batteries :-)

Time and time again I'm reminded of the importance of weekends. I had had a rather intensive weekend last 2 weeks; what with focusing on my certification for NLP coach and concentrating on 1 heavy duty report for my main business documents client. Last weekend, though, was just great. I spent most of Saturday at home, working on my Yugen Ideas website, taught myself FTP too. I got a little bit impatient with TV over the weekend, so I spent more time with my books. Sunday was spent looking for a signature piece for my living room i.e. a 6' TV cabinet. I also went to the gym with C and met up with R for lunch. I listened to my Timeline Therapy CDs and read my notes + textbook to prepare for this weekend's Timeline Therapist certification program and I enjoyed floating above my timeline. I felt like a plane. Today, I feel very relaxed and energetic. More ready to face what will come my way. Now I'm planning which Shrek meal toy to get from McDonalds :-)

I'm grateful for weekends!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Action!

I was in a small party last night and I got a lot of questions about what I do. I basically work with people who are very frustrated (ya there are many, true, but then we are all merely human, right?) because they either cant come up with a solution for a problem that theyre dealing with for a long time, or they cant see their way out of a sticky problem, or all the solutions theyve implemented just are not working. I work with them to identify the source of their problem and together with them design an action plan that is guaranteed to work.

Based on NLP and Action Learning, I bring my clients to the outcome that they desire.

Here's a bit of info from the International Foundation of Action Learning:

Action learning involves working on real problems, focusing on learning and actually implementing solutions. It is a form of learning by doing.

Pioneered by Professor Reg Revans and developed worldwide over the last 35 years, it provides a well-tried method of accelerating learning which enables people to handle difficult situations more effectively.

Action learning is based on a radical concept: L = P + Q Learning requires Programmed knowledge (i.e. knowledge in current use) and Questioning insight. It also uses a small group to provide challenge and support: individuals learn best with and from one another as they each tackle their own problem and actually implement their own solution.

The process integrates: research (into what is obscure); learning (about what is unknown); and action (to resolve a problem) into a single activity and develops an attitude of questioning and reflection to help individuals and organisations change themselves in a rapidly changing world.

And I love it :-)

Yes, Prime Minister

I'm a big fan of DVD box sets, starting from the time I received 'The Pretender' set for my birthday. When I'm at home, I watch my favorite stuff and among them are:

1. Black Adder series (esp seasons 2, 3)
2. The Thin Blue Line, also with Rowan Atkinson
3. Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister
4. Shogun
5. Peter Seller's Pink Panther movies

The only reason I keep my satelite TV channel is because of Midsomer Murders on Hallmark and BBC Entertainment.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Parts, integrated

Have you experienced some sort of conflict inside you? If you have, it's very highly likely that you have got a part inside you, that is not congruent with your whole being. A part can be seen as a blockage or basically a segment that holds the problem; while the whole is your complete being. It's good to think that a whole is bigger than the sum of the parts. Because, once we eliminate conflict inside us, that problematic part will integrate with our whole being, resulting in congruence or inner harmony.

Now, look inside you. Is there a part inside you that believes sometimes that you are not good enough? Not smart enough? Not beautiful enough? Do you believe in this completely or do you have this belief as a conflict ie sometimes you believe that youre not good enough, but on the other hand, there are many instances where you know that youve achieved success ie that you ARE good enough. These 'on the other hand' situations reflect conflict.

And now, picture yourself, for one moment, being free from this conflict. You would be believing completely that you are good enough / loved enough / deserving enough of all the blessings that you have received every day of your beautiful life. How does the picture look to you? How do you feel? Once free from conflict and totally at peace with yourself, do you think you can achieve anything you want to do? YOU BET.

I know I did. I know I needed to eliminate conflict as much as know how much I was a conflicted being. But I was afraid to want it eliminated. To avoid disappointment when goals are not met, I dont set goals. I thought I did, but I didnt. When I studied Parts Integration in my NLP Certified Practitioner training, I went in whole-heartedly. I didnt think it was achievable - hell, I thought it was IMPOSSIBLE to eliminate conflict inside me. How could I free myself from this after 30 years? Wouldnt it take me the rest of my life to eliminate conflict? It took me around 20 minutes, actually. 20 minutes to work with a fellow practitioner and discover the highest intention of my problematic part, the highest intention of my harmonious whole, and the meaning of this intentions and what they would do for me. When I reached my breakthrough, I saw and felt the barrier dissolve. I saw inside me 2 identical me's, beneath the dissolving bubble. I expected the 'whole me' to pull my 'problematic part me' towards integration. What happened though, was something more beautiful. I saw the me that represented the problematic part reach out her hands towards the me that represented my integrated whole. I felt her reaching out for help. I felt the warmth and comfort when the two 'me's came together in one big hug. I felt so calm, at peace, welcomed and loved. By me.

I've started this journey to discover what I really want in life, setting the goals that will be harmonious internally, and achieving my potential. I'm really grateful to God for this awareness. :-)

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

First, Break All the Rules

Choowie wrote about one of my favorite books in his post on the reasons why people leave their jobs. When I first read Marcus Buckingham's First, Break All the Rules, I was flummoxed. The things that I had gut feel about could be proven with facts and concrete examples. People leave their jobs mainly because of their supervisors. Go get the book - you may not agree with all the ideas in there, but there's enough thought in there to spark some interesting discussions and new awareness in the areas of satisfaction at the workplace, methinks.

Sunshine

I won passes to watch Danny Boyle's movie, Sunshine. I gave the other 3 passes to Jennie, Chris and Ayu, and we met up in GSC 1U to watch the movie. After surrendering our mobile phones, we settled into our seats. There were some funny games and stuff, courtesy of the host, and then, before we knew it, the movie came on. Great CGIs. Stuff really needed to be seen on the big screen. The dying sun, the space shuttle Icarus 2, the oxygen garden. AND naturally, my hero, Hiroyuki Sanada (you'd need Quicktime to view that video there).

Even after so many weeks, some parts of the movie are still in my brain. The trip to the sun alone, took more than 18 months. In the movie, it wouldve taken the astronauts another 2 years or so for them to return to earth. Imagine that. A 4-year assignment where you'd be living with the same 7 people. Be with them, and only them, for 4 years. I'm not too wild about the movie, and I've been through the discussion topics on IMDB.com, lambasting the movie's Hollywoodization of the science of our sun and the rest of the solar system. To them I say this: there are a few instances in life where judgement, and up to a certain extent, reality, need to be suspended in order to enjoy the moment or to have some sense of reason behind actions. Hell, we go through this suspension of belief on a daily basis sometimes. Where, you might ask me? The workplace, for one. To make family relationships work, would be another instance. So I suspended my own personal judgement watching that movie. One poignant moment for me was when the Icarus crew arrived near Mercury. I figured if I were an astronaut, a botanist, a physicist or a pilot, and I was on a mission to save my planet, I too would be in awe watching Mercury orbiting the sun.

Interesting movie, and an absolutely interesting soundtrack.