Don’t avoid it. But, perhaps, don’t push through it either.
?? Michael Bungay Stanier
Author of *The Coaching Habit* (1 million+ sold), *How to Work with (Almost) Anyone* & more ? I help people unlock greatness: theirs and others' ? #1 thought leader on coaching ?Top rated keynote speaker ? Rhodes Scholar
The following is an excerpt from my free weekly newsletter The Works . Each edition shares an insight, tool or story that will help you be a force for change, written by me, MBS - recognized as the #1 thought leader on #coaching in the world. Subscribe to get the full impact delivered straight to your inbox.
Regular readers will know that I had an operation on my hand a couple of months ago to counteract the finger-curling effects of the so-called Viking Disease aka Dupuytren's Contracture.
I’m happy to report that things have healed well, my Potteresque zigzag scar is looking good, and because I can now put my hand flat on the ground, I’m able to start doing yoga again
After a two year break, I’m frankly stunned at how far I’ve regressed. At “peak yoga” I was never very flexible, but now a plank of wood would be better able to touch its toes than I.
What’s helping is showing up regularly to the point of resistance, and just staying there.
In yoga, it’s a physical thing. I lean forward over my legs, my hamstrings say “woah!”
I don’t push beyond the resistance (something that’s taken me, oh, fifty years to learn not to do), but I just spend a couple of minutes in that place. Sometimes it softens and gives a little, sometimes it doesn’t. (tweet this)
You’ve already figured out that this isn’t about yoga.
It’s about sitting with the resistance and seeing how it changes.
Seeing how I change.
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1 年Thanks Michael :) I had a wonderful yoga instructor that would say "Don't allow your ambitions to overcome your practice" Mitch (Michelle) Gibsoni s a wise soul! ! I hope I quoted you correctly (more than 10 years since)!
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2 年Congratulations on progress in your healing journey. I appreciate the share.
Thinker and Tinkerer
2 年Great post! The “24 Hour Rule” is possibly the best leadership advice I’ve ever received. This post speaks to this. Live with something for 24 hours before acting. It’s amazing the insight that can happen by letting your mind do its thing for a relatively short period of time.
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2 年I ? this! "It’s about?sitting with the resistance?and seeing how it changes. Seeing how I change." We are often so hasty to change that we skip over the part of "showing up regularly to the point of resistance and?just staying there." There are many approaches to evolving but this one, in particular, gives us far more grace and gratitude for the progress. It requires us to step away from perfection and pushes us toward acceptance. As always, wonderful insight from ?? Michael Bungay Stanier