In its simplest form, Murphy’s Law states: If anything can go wrong, it will.
And it’s more or less the story of a specific part of my book project..
Maybe, one day I’ll tell you everything about it… 😉
Today’s video was born as a reflection of me being frustrated over a long-term, let’s say ‘less professional’ job done by one of my service providers. Seriously, Murphy’s Law was fully active…
As I was struggling with controlling my temper, at some point I realised that this same book, Awareness Builder 101, has a chapter called “Enemies”.
Enemies often are our best teachers, aren’t they?
I shot a new Tuesday video for you today with my reflections around this topic.
Once you’ve had a chance to watch it, I’d love to hear from you. Where do you have your enemies? And what do they want to teach you? And what is your part in all of this? Feel free to leave a comment on this blog and share your thoughts.
P.S. And if you haven’t read my book already, you can read the reviews and buy your copy here -> Awareness Builder 101
Today I want to speak with you about something very special, something very precious – FREEDOM.
These days many European countries remember and celebrate 75 years of freedom and peace after World War II. Yet freedom is so much more than only not being at war and not being occupied by an enemy.
Nowadays, in these Covid times, we all of the sudden realise what this core value really means to us, because what we maybe took for granted, feels now taken away from us.
I shot a new Tuesday video for you today with my reflections around this topic.
Once you’ve had a chance to watch it, I’d love to hear from you. What is freedom in essence for you? Where do you find peace in you, even if you’re locked up? Feel free to leave a comment on this blog and share your thoughts.
It’s SO good to be back home and out of hospital!
Just one week ago I could, with help and behind a walker, make my first steps again after totally unexpected being hospitalised with a herniated disc and an ‘unwilling’ right leg.
Today I’m able to do short walks with my walker – whom I called Johnny – just outside of my garden for which I’m SO grateful!
Last weeks has for sure taught me a new dimension of the word DISCIPLINE.
As in respecting what is not (yet) or (at all) possible …
This is why I shot a new video today where I want to share my reflections with you.
Once you’ve had a chance to watch it, I’d love to hear from you. What are DO’s and DONT’s that you need to explore to achieve the goals that you’ve set for yourself? Leave a comment below and let me know.
It was Saturday April 11th, now ten days ago. I remember enjoying the sun on my body, whilst sitting on my little tractor mowing the lawn. Nice and relaxed, just cruising 😎
I’ve just finished a series of 10 webinars with coaches and HR-pro’s from all around the world in response to what’s going on with Covid19. With no other intention but to inspire and support each other. Just get together and exchange our vision and ideas. What and how to create from the current mess. How to take care of each other as well as off ourselves.
In those same weeks I recorded several videos, underlining we’re all ‘just’ human beings. Human beings with in essence very, very similar basic needs. Groups I asked special attention for were the elderly and other fragile groups, such as addicts and people who live alone. To not forget about them, knowing they need (y)our support now more than ever!
And then, a few hours later, I just made one wrong move…
One move that totally turned things upside down…
Long story short, I ended up in hospital with a seriously herniated disc with very little strength in the right leg and foot.
From mowing the lawn, to taken to hospital by ambulance and wheeled into the Intensive Care.
No visits possible. So here I was, alone, afraid and fragile…
Yesterday, after 10 days horizontal and still ongoing heavy medication, I celebrated being on my feet again for the first time. It was both a moment of victory as well as of fear. Will my legs carry me? It was an emotional moment where tears of relief blended with tears of joy.
The physiotherapist in the hospital took a picture of me, whilst standing behind the walking support. When I looked at the picture I thought ‘yak, I look horrible, I’m a mess!!’
When we’re being portrayed, we want to look good, right? To the max silly, not like this…
Earlier in this process, when I had an off day, I already reconnected with the fighter in me. I realised that feeling sorry for myself wouldn’t help me conquer this one. The fighter in me was awakened, check ✔
Today I realized that there is another essential factor I need to deal with: my ego.
As long as I feel embarrassed for having my picture taken under such circumstances, I’ll keep fighting my biggest enemy: myself. I’m convinced that, with the right people around me, I’m going to turn this dust to gold. I need to get over myself to support and inspire myself and others to create from the current mess.
This is just my little story. Probably you’ve got yours. Where in your life is your ego getting in your way of simply being human and creating from the mess? Leave a comment below and support and inspire others with your story.
BE well. DO good.
Alex Verlek, © April 2020
Some personal notes from Hopital de Die.
I’m writing to you from my bed at the intensive care. In the hospital with the most beautiful name – “Hopital de Die”. And yes, you’re allowed to laugh..:-)
All of a sudden these words, intensive care, hit me. I’m very optimistic, all will be well soon, yet isn’t it underlining how fragile we are?
And dammed Alex, when will you learn…:“A few years ago you wrote the chapter ‘Fragile’ after you also ended up in hospital.”
Next to reconsidering if I really need to do all I’ve got on my plate, the biggest lesson is to enjoy life to the fullest: NOW!
This is why today I wanted to share chapter 5 – “Fragile” from my “soon to be published” audiobook with you.
Listen to it here:
Once you’ve had a chance to listen to it, I’d love to hear from you.
If I would not be given a “tomorrow”, what would I do today?
Leave a comment below and let me know.
April 10th, 2020
Dear leader,
Today I heard some wonderful news:
For the first time in decades the mountain tops of the Himalayas are visible again!
Wow, what a wakeup call.
Humanity is deeply suffering due to the Covid19 tragedy. We mourn many lives, tens of thousands.
People lose jobs, businesses have to close. Weddings are postponed and many of us can’t even accompany loved ones to their final resting place. The list of sufferings is very, very long.
At the same time, we see the earth taking a deep breath. Mountain tops get visible again, the nights are silent. Deer walking into our cities. We see fish swimming in cleaner water.
And, humanity is not only suffering. Humanity is also redefining what really matters. Reconnecting with core values and what moves their hearts. More often than not discovering these are the so called ‘simple’ things in life. Like a phone call to a loved one. Or spending time with our kids.
In the midst of all of this, many of us strive to go back to normal as soon as possible.
The question is, to which ‘normal’ do we want to go back to. The norm(al) of pre-Covid19? Or, do we want to also redefine what ‘normal’ is?
Leaders in the world: I urge you to collect the lessons this tragedy teaches us, even whilst it’s happening. To collect what we thought and how we felt whilst we were in the midst of the storm. To take pictures of the lessons we see unfolding in front of our eyes. To capture not only the beauty of mountain tops who were hidden for decades due to pollution, no, also capture pictures of people who couldn’t get the care they need, they deserve. To collect the stories of the naked truth, for instance how elderly people died alone and were only found after days or even weeks. How healthcare wasn’t equally available to all in need. How Covid19 did not discriminate who got infected, yet that our systems often discriminated by who got medical care.
Leaders of the world: I urge you to collect the lessons from the Covid19 tragedy whilst we’re fighting this war so we can give the future generations a world that is more at peace with itself. That is more connected to what really matters. That better understands what ‘human rights’ and ‘equality’ really means.
So we don’t fight to ‘just’ conquer an enemy, yet that we actually do find a better world at the other side of this tragedy.
Leaders of the world: Yes, this is a letter to kings and presidents, to all who were given the responsibility to lead countries.
This is also a letter to the leaders in armies and organisations. The way you lead makes a difference.
AND: this letter is written to all (young) adults in the world, because YOU ARE A LEADER!
The way you lead your family, your friends, yourself; it makes a difference.
We are ALL leaders and we are all responsible for what we learn from, and create from the tragedy that is now calling the whole world to pause and reconsider.
Thank you for reading this letter,
Alex Verlek
Let’s talk about connection today.
Under the special circumstances that we’re all living in right now, we all of a sudden realize how it is to not be able to connect with another human being as we always did.
And, in addition to connecting with somebody else, I also want to point at the importance of connecting with ourselves in today’s video.
Once you’ve had a chance to watch, I’d love to hear from you.
What is it you need from yourself before you start connecting with somebody else out there? Please leave a comment below and let me know.
These are still times where we all are going through circumstances such as we’ve never experienced before. Many of us are locked up in a little box called ‘our house’. It’s almost inevitable that more conflict than ever before is happening in your house.
You’re locked up with your loved ones. Yet everybody is lacking space and breathing time as they are trying to do their best to re-adjust to the new reality.
So what can we do to help ourselves and our loved ones to not blow the conflict out of the proportions. To keep it within reason instead? And more importantly, how do we want to be when conflict is happening?
Watch my video – answer below. And please share in the comments below what are YOUR best conflict resolution strategies these days?
P.S. By the way, the brand new, specially designed ‘Conflict Transformation Model’ is one of the coaching tools I will be presenting during my online masterclass held on the 19th of February 2021. If you are interested to join, please do not wait too long. 40% of all tickets were sold after 3 days.
One of the most forgotten coaching skills.
The time and space we give our clients at the very beginning of the coaching session to get stuff of their chest so they can be present to the session.
You know, when they just got a speeding ticket or they had an argument with their partner or colleague. Or their pet just died. That letter from the tax authorities they didn’t expect.
All these things occupy your clients mental space and unless you give them a chance to vent this, it’s very likely they stay in that energy the whole session.
The special times we’re now experiencing, has an impact on everybody. Not a single person in the world isn’t impacted. For some the impact is huge, for others not so much.
Yet we don’t know, maybe our clients aren’t even aware of the energy they carry.
What a gift that you slow down a moment to check in with them. To ask how they’re doing.
A way to do this, is to use the body-mind-heart-spirit check in. After asking them to slow down their breathing, maybe close their eyes, you do a ‘body scan’. You ask them what they notice in their mind. How their heart is doing. What’s happening for their spirit.
No need to even answer those questions, just let them connect with it.
After completing this, ask them if they feel like sharing something. If there is anything they need to get of their chest, if there’s something they feel like venting. Maybe they just want to ‘complain’ for a few minutes.
Whilst you focus on the whole person, let them be. Let them connect with what is going on for them and only after that, they are ready to focus and be present.
Even that is not a given! Maybe they need more time, maybe even the whole session for this. This is where you either give them way more space than normal to be in ‘story telling’ mode.As long as you feel they are exploring new grounds, cleaning up their energy, fine, let it be.
From there you may also choose to go into Process coaching. When you feel there is a stuck emotion, a stuck energy, ask permission to go and explore that.
Bottomline, meet your clients where they are and when clearing is needed, give them the space for it.
And oh, what is it that you need to clear before you can be fully present? Remember, coaches are just normal human beings….
BE well. DO good.
Alex Verlek, CPCC/MCC