On Friday I went with Hippy Chick and Vixen to a "Meet your Inner Team" workshop!
Having had several sessions of confidence coaching with Hippy Chick and attending one of her workshops I felt intrigued and happy enough to go along and experience someone else's coaching style.
The evening was all about finding the characters in your head and helping them all work with each other in harmony rather than conflict.
As Hubby remarked "There's alot of people in your head so best of luck to them!"
It started off with the usual going round the room and everyone introducing themselves. We also had to say what conflict we had in our lives that we wanted our inner team to work towards solving.
After that the course leaders spoke a little about what the evening would entail and the theory and basis behind this type of coaching, I'd once acted in a play with one of them and he knew a lot of people I did. I couldn't quite decide whether that made me feel uncomfortable with sharing my troubles or not but before I had chance to decide we were on to the next part.
It had not gone unnoticed that in the middle of the room, on a low coffee table, were a vast array of assorted teddy bears and cuddly toys. It soon became apparent what these were there for!
We were told that we were going to physically move to the corner of the room and think about the facet of our personality where we are self critical and negative. We had to choose a soft toy from the selection that symbolised those feelings to us and take it with us. We had to remember a time when we felt these emotions and how it made us feel.
To give this member of our inner team a name the course leaders referred to it as Fox!
We then had to do the same again in another corner with another fluffy toy but thinking about our creative, playful side where the sky's the limit. This person was known as Rabbit.
Finally we went to another corner, took another critter with us and met the person they called Bear. He or she is resourceful, practical and gets things done.
We made notes, we closed our eyes and felt the moment and we connected to the cuddly toy!
No, really, we did!
Once we'd worked out how our Fox, Rabbit and Bear did, or more to the point didn't get on with each other, we went round again, this time thinking about these characters in relation to our individual dilemma.
Now I discovered that my Fox makes me worry about my skills as a mother but that's ok because Bear can step in and be all useful and practical and just tell me to get on with it. Only he doesn't. he's too busy trying to get Rabbit to get off his arse and do something.
My Rabbit is very prominent but doesn't work as well in conjunction with my Bear because I have a fourth character Monkey who distracts them.
Monkey is mischievous. Monkey wants to muck about. He has none of Rabbit's creative flair, nor Bears get up and go! Monkey literally wants to live just for pleasure and leisure!
Have I lost you yet?
So in conclusion what did I learn.
Fox thinks I'm a terrible mother because I'm not serious enough with the boy and I want to be his best mate all the time.
Bear would step in and sort it out but he's too busy trying to motivate Rabbit who he knows is talented but is too easily led.
Rabbit has loads of great ideas, sensitive feelings and an artistic, sensitive temperament but no drive.
Monkey is cheeky, lazy and leads Rabbit astray.
Sometimes Bear just gives up and all three of them go off up the park with a bottle of Diamond White and 20 Marlborough Lights when they really should be doing their homework.
Fox thinks they're all useless tossers and tries to keep them in for detention.
My head is full of fluffy animals running round.
No wonder I can't hear myself think most days.
I explained all this to hubby when I got home. He looked bemused.
"And you paid eight quid for someone to tell you all that" he sighed "Well to use the animal analogy what a load of old pony!"
Fox snarled and got grumpy. Bear shrugged and made another list of jobs to do. Rabbit felt a bit hurt and would probably write a poem about his feelings later.
Monkey said "Sod you then!" and went up the pub for a game of snooker and a pint.
I rather like my animals. Especially that naughty Monkey.....