Sometimes life makes you teach yourself many things…
Giving the benefit of doubt
There are many crossroads in life be it in a career with any organisation or in partnerships, or even personally between people or teams, where point of views are different and clash of perspectives on decisions are bound to occur.
Can you agree to disagree?
For most, it is challenging as its not always easy to come to terms with what affects you or makes you emotional. Yet learning ways to give the benefit of doubt, calls for development of strategic skills.
It is important to process any conflict of interest, you may have with others , first with your own self.
Check if you can find the root of your disagreement with a particular decision.
What is it that you are not aligned with?
Why are you feeling this way?
Empathic Perspectives
Then begin to imagine if you are able to bring empathy by setting aside your feelings on what you are yet unable to accept and think from the other persons perspective, does the view alter then? Does it change your thoughts a bit?
If you can alternatively, also think if you choose to agree, in the larger interest, does it benefit or can it make your team bond together.
Let’s also not discount the possibility of you having less information about the reasons for any decision taken.
Ultimately, whatever way you chose to think or act is your choice to take. But sometimes when it may seem impossible to make sense of things do remember, there is always more than what meets the eye!
As a Life Coach one has the opportunity to positively impact and influence another life and its ripples can be felt miles around. It is huge responsibility.
Thriving as a Life Coach
Every life is unique and a life coach needs to keep ideating and integrating approaches and interventions that make way to transformative changes. It can challenge the very best.
To thrive as a life coach and be effective it is necessary…
Approachability : To be approachable and open to feedback, which helps to foster trust and respect within the clients
Patience : To empathize with others and understand their perspectives before offering solutions
Resilience : To adapt & to bounce back, no matter the challenges.To be able to bend and not break under pressure.
This calls for a great amount of emotional intelligence, consistency, creative thinking & resilience. A resilience that comes from experience and one that is honed in flexibility & adaptability.
What matters most is how a life coach can instill confidence and trust in another to make a meaningful difference.
As a dancer, I often use my dance education and experiences by associating concepts and find it helps me understand and evolve in the many life challenges and relate to the changing world.
In a world where almost everyone is interfacing with ChatGPT and AI and finding new and improved ways of prompting for application of technology for every day use, I find some relevant associations here with partner dancing and technology.
Dancing & Prompting has a lot in common A dance with a partner is an action and response More than a reaction. Likewise in today’s world every day is a dance with AI and our prompts are nothing but inputs towards an intelligent response than just a reaction. The better the input the better the output. Here I want to share a few thoughts for starters Dancing with a partner is about being in tandem, one leading the way and one following without anticipation Likewise prompting is about giving clear directions without ambiguity. To dance is to set and hold the frame In a good prompt setting the context and format helps to streamline the output.
In a dance the music sets the movements of the dance… And in a prompt sharing the example of what it feels like helps clearer and relevant output.
In a dance a leader can evaluate as you go which steps will work with which partner. Assessing the dance space available helps in evaluating the flow. For there are no second moves… Whatever you do decides the dance flow… And you are free to improvise your self as you go along
Likewise in prompts evaluation helps check what is working and tweaking it gives better quality output.
When a dancer is a professional Dancing a single step may feel fluid but in breaking down the steps it’s easier to understand the flow. In prompting dividing the steps well into multiple steps connected to a certain goal will give desired results.
Be it a dance with partner or with words for AI when you have a clear intention and purpose and are able to communicate what you want and where you want to reach, in easily understable and suitable way not only will you reach your destination You will enjoy the journey!
Unconference, the word piqued my curiosity for a while until I checked it up on the internet, only to find that the idea has gained tremendous momentum across the globe.
The idea of un-structuring the ingrained structure seemed interesting to say the least, in creating spaces and possibilities to honour the learning.
Suffice to say recently, when I came across an Unconference event in the local newspaper I decided I must make a visit.
The venue of this Unconference was the well known Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts in Pune. I reached just in time for the proceedings to untold.
A customary registration ensued and I was greeted by a few volunteers with a relaxed warm and welcoming attitude. Clearly, the Unconference had started right there.
The word Conference kind of stiffens people up. There is a formal attitude, a thick air of competition to perform at their very best. There are fees and strict rules to adhere to. There are super busy organisers scurrying through and tension is writ large on their faces and their bodies as well are stressed out with expectations of the outcome of the event. Suited men and women whizz through looking super important. And yes there would be a Chief Guest of honour and a coterie of important people who need VIP handling… Adherence to their whims and fancies and most importantly their speeches which may or may not be of interest to any. But all must endure as to get up and leave is an offence to the speaker.
On the contrary here, there was a prevalent free-spirited feeling in the first place that all were in it together. The sense of community always takes time to build so I stood in that room with a small group of people waiting for the (informal introductory practice,) the opening circle.
The Opening Circle :
Someone from the group had taken an initiative to design a pretty pattern made of flowers in the centre of the space and light a lamp there.
A few introductory rounds later which turned out to be icebreakers with a few games to let loose and get into the flow.
There was a board set up with a mention of few rooms and a time slot to boot. The participants were encouraged to choose to attend or conduct workshops or just wander around and network.
A few people got up to mention their workshops and claim their slot. On a moment’s impulse although I was not exactly in the right attire for a dance workshop I simply decided to go with the flow and offered a Dance connection workshop by me.
Encouraged by a decent number of participants I let the moment take the lead. As I began teaching I witnessed the flow of the energy in the exchange.
I spoke about the dance, hold, frame and positioning and started introducing them to partner dancing and some basic steps. Bit by bit people shed inhibitions as they were getting tuned into the moves.
The moment strangers began to hold hands and face one another… for many, there was harmony to be found in the mirror imaging. For after all the lead and follow were simply an extension of each other dancing as one unit.
The energy in the room turned up a notch with the Achy Breaky Heart country cha sounds of Billy Ray Cyrus for company.
All started sensing the tuning in to the rhthymic expression of music & movement with their partners at that moment.
After the dance workshop I asked what they felt in that moment and here is what they shared immediately…
Sitting for long hours at work can be rather stressful for those who have sedentary work. In such cases taking good care of your feet health is very important for your heart and overall health.
What can you do besides wearing comfortable shoes, soaking your feet in warm salt water after work, massaging your feet from time to time.
However when at work you can incorporate a simple practice of taking a short walk every one hour to break monotony and reduce the impact of long hours of sitting in a chair.
As a Ballroom dance teacher I used some simple props for my students to help strengthen their feet.
Elevating your feet when ever possible, can reduce pressure on the blood vessels, lowering fatigue and release stress.
One is simply rolling a tennis ball under your feet for a few times in a day to release the strain and tension.
Another easy way is to have a small terry towel under your feet and to try to lift it by scrunching your toes.lt helps tone, stretch & ease your feet muscles.
They are both easy to carry and can help you do a feet workout as you work.
There is inspiration Evoking enchantment Of magic & mystique In Spirituality & Fractality Mermerizing movements Exploring possibilities Both inclusive & expansive Experiencing virtual world Illusions become realistic Innovations becomes reality…
Creating anything Requires trustfulness Needs effort and focus And ability to adapt A willingness to attempt Acceptance of errors And perseverance to go on To the shifting perspectives In creative associations Adding curiousity of a child Of awe, wonder & joy.
Did something happen? Did you get hurt? Are you in pain? Do you keep hurting Time and time again Still thinking of it Is it the circumstances That repeat itself? Or is it you who has to change?
Are you ready? To work on your own self?
Cultivate your inner strength Release let go pain Let go slights & insults Step by step Bit by bit Acknowledge the hurt But overcome it In practice learn to flow over it And once you do You move over it Care to ask yourself What is the hurt all about? Where is it hurting the most? Whatever your answer Release it consciously Let it go… For the now is meant to change Such is the truth of nature.
Its your life You are responsible To create a garden of your life Make sure you strengthen The walls with gratitude for life Value the life in every now Bloom some more Be the best you can be!
What if storms come when in the middle of the ocean. What if volcanos erupt ,where the shelter is. . What if tsunami sweeps in while relaxing at the beach. What if earth quake shakes the ground underneath.
Human spirit is so strong It will overcome any obstacle that comes in its way. Strong is the will power and grit. Our race has seen all these and much more in the times bygone. Resilience and humanity overpowers all mishaps . We rise from the ashes to build from the scratch. We can make edges bend to make us the path to proceed. Never fall down. Never loose hope. Though life is a struggle We are meant to survive. Our faith and inner light are the anchors. Hope & effort are the oars that steer us forward. Keep moving. Keep winning. For we are meant to survive.
Savvy Raj 
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