Whenever people refer to themselves as ‘development junkies’ I cringe. The term alludes to a passionate interest in development with the nagging feeling that perhaps the real work isn’t being done. But further, my skin likely crawls with the recognition that this is me. When I scan over the last decade+ of my life, I see myself bouncing from one discipline to the next, from this spiritual lineage to that, from this conference to that workshop to this retreat and on and on. While I bring lightness to how I describe this, insinuating that transformation cannot occur under such developmental taste testing, creating such a palate can be a great foundation for sustainable development.
I have actually done a great deal of work over the years and in fact, dipping into multiple methods and disciplines can offer such a broad scope to how we’re practicing with our own development that change can be deep and profound, when we’re actually willing to do the difficult work. In my early twenties I had engaged with a few different methods of coaching, both as coach and as client. I owned a business and had spent tens of thousands of dollars on my own leadership development and hiring coaches and consultants to help me run a better company. But the question I was always left with was ‘but what about this?’ It always felt like I could look at areas of life or business, but not the whole. I’d apply methods that addressed most, but not everything that was of concern to me.
I discovered Integral theory at 22 and got pretty jazzed up about the map. I loved the theory and applying it in my own sloppy ways to my HR strategy, to how I chose to communicate, to how I designed my systems or related to my lifestyle. I would even do ‘four quadrant scans’ to try to better understand my impulsive, youthful, dumb-ass decisions. I thought if Integral Theory could be applied to a coaching methodology to take what was swirling around as concepts and actually have it become embodied transformative work, now that would be pretty kick-ass, that I would sign up for, that would address the ‘what about this?’
So when I found out that Integral Coaching Canada was doing just that and registered to be trained as an Integral Coach™, I expected greatness. I expected transformation. I expected not only a state change that you get at a weekend workshop, but a stage change. I expected a radically different experience in how I related to myself, my work, the world. I expected to become a better mother, friend, colleague and leader. I expected to be given the skills to work deeply and intimately with people on areas of their life they’ve been suffering over for longer than they can articulate and offer them a way up and out. I expected more peace, intimacy and courage. I expected to be shaken up and ripped open and carried and launched. I expected more creative fulfillment and greater capacity in every damn area of my life that I ached for. I expected the fucking moon. They delivered.
My personal world got rocked. My professional world has been rocked. So here comes the plug for a free event to find out more about Integral Coaching™ and Integral Coaching Canada. No one’s going to sell you anything and I don’t get a toaster...
One of the perks of becoming an Integral Coach™ has been the growing community of Integral Coaches™. Rather than feeling that others who are doing the same work, who might even have the same niche as me, are my competitors, we see each other as partners. We want more people to come and play with us. So on our own time and our own dime, a bunch of us are getting together and creating an evening for people who want more contact with what Integral Coaching™ offers and may even want to put themselves through this rigorous and liberating program. If you’re in the Vancouver area on Monday Feb 20...come hang with some pretty rad people and go home with a bit more fullness and freedom.
Click here for facebook event page
