Ahoy There!
Here I am, learning how to helm a boat. Just a day (well, two days if we're being specific) in the life of Captain Gregory. Like many great learning experiences, it was both intense and fun, theoretical and practical, equally as exhilarating as it was exhausting... using new parts of your brain is TIRING right?!
Charting the course of the boat on land was fun. Who doesn't love a map and a bit of retro stationary? But out on the water, adjusting the steering by a few degrees felt underwhelming at first. Had we even changed direction?
It's easier to feel and see something change when we take a one eighty, or a hard right. But these kind of moves take much more engine power and splash. Fun for a bit, sure, but how sustainable is this? Then there's the tides, winds and other boats and hazards to take into account. Let's just say it's not all plain sailing.
Gently and smoothly steering the ship, on the other hand, feels a lot more like an art. A dance with the flow of life. A craft to gracefully master over time. And although shifting a few degrees might feel like nothing is changing in the doing, overtime that small and subtle shift of degree can seriously change the whole course of your journey.
We all have the ability to captain our ship through the ever changing tides and winds of life. To gauge conditions and chart a course of action we see best fit. To course correct as we go. To drop anchor if and when we need to slow down, stop, rest or reassess. To marvel at just how far we’ve come or lie awake under the stars and wonder about all the places we’ve yet to go.
The trouble is, we often wait until we're close to collision before taking to the helm. Perhaps we don't realise or feel that we really are the captain? We push aside and dismiss our hunch that a storm is brewing, even though we feel it in the air. Or we simply forget to sit back and enjoy the ride whilst it lasts, however long that may be.
So here we are, bobbing up and down on our little boats, on the blue bit of the marble that spins and floats in space with it's own moon and a sun and god knows what else.
Isn't it magical and exquisite how small one's life is yet how rich and vast it can be?
Life is precious. And bonkers. And heart-breaking. And joy-making. And as predictable as it is unpredictable. You know this. I know this. But how do we live out our days like we really, truly do know this?
I may have walked away with my powerboat level 2 certificate of competence and a sense of achievement but the real learning begins when I take to the waters without my trusted instructor.
Thanks for reading. I hope you found something in here that sparks something in you. It's always lovely receiving your replies and hearing about what resonates with you.
With love,
Fi X
Ps. I'm currently creating something fun (and hopefully pretty useful). It's a Self-coaching practice for anyone who is looking to bring more joy and direction into their lives (& work) in a gentle yet powerful way. Small steps, done consistently over the course of time :). Self-coaching is a way of heightening one’s own awareness, of learning how to tune into the detail of your life, of cultivating self-compassion, creativity and courage in the face of change or challenge, and celebrating and motivating yourself through the inevitable highs and lows of life. Ultimately, self-coaching is a practice of having real and meaningful agency in how you want to feel, be and act in the world... day in, day out.
It won't officially launch until August but if you're curious to find out more before then, just let me know.
Pps. Self-Coaching is of course different from working with a coach. There would be way less metaphors to start with!