Power of Mind, Power of Stories and Power of NOW!

On the occasion of Yalda (A Persian traditional ceremony where we celebrate the longest night of the year) and reflecting on the journey of 2024, I felt to share my “Hero’s Story” that I presented to my peers and Mentor Coaches during the last Intensive workshop of the UBC Certificate of Organizational Coaching Program held by The University of British Columbia UBC Extended Learning . ?What a journey it has been the last 12 months; doubts, fears, setbacks, readjusting, resetting and trying over and over, de-learning and relearning and a great deal of achievements, celebrations and laughter!!! The story somehow portrays the self-discovery journey I lived and experienced!

?To better connect with the story, perhaps you read it while you listen to this divine music that I have uploaded at the end of this post. You might not understand the lyrics, but I hope you sense it!!!

?There are moments when I lie awake at night, and the same thought swims around my head: I’m struggling to stay buoyant in a monstrous ocean with not a single land or object in sight, just miles and miles of water. I can feel all my nerves on fire, reminding me of the fear of sinking. I don’t dare look down to see the growing darkness that is awaiting me underneath, yet I have no choice but to sink deeper and deeper as I do not know how to stay afloat. There appears a broken log not far from me, strangely enough I refuse to go towards it. After a few minutes of fighting silent battles in my head, I look down, and go under, without having an explanation as to why. I swim right towards the pitch black darkness of the unknown. It takes away my sight in ways I’ve never experienced before, but I feel the flames growing stronger and stronger as I move towards my biggest fear. I don’t know what unfathomable fate is waiting for me, but I keep going down, down, down, down, until my hands hit a hard surface, and I realize I’ve hit the bottom of the ocean.?

Flames disappearing from my nerves, I rest my body on the floor and look up at the hundreds of kilometres of water I’ve swam deep, and suddenly I start to see the beauty of it, the flow and rhythm of every wave, the sound of silence down where no one but me can hear and the awfully calm nature that I had been so afraid of. I am taking a moment with this amazing feeling of immersion, thinking to myself, who is aware that I am here. What is the container? Is it the ocean holding me in it’s soothing crib or is it me being a universe holding everything in the world of my wholeness.

Contemplating on the moment, the flames in my nerves have found their way and are now emerging to a tiny yet growing flare in my heart. Embracing the harmony of the water, I swim back up, and let the waves take me back to land. Sitting on sands I am whispering to myself “discomfort is the price to a meaningful life”. While reflecting on the experience I was captivated with, my right hand reaches out to my chest and senses the warmth of the flames in my heart. This is who I have become, someone who wants to light fire in people’s heart.

Suddenly, I hear a voice in me; a voice withuot words, singing to me “courage is fear walking!” and I sit with my fear courageously hopeful for the next adventure to come! “Perhaps I’m the swimmer who decides to go deep down, rather than hanging on to the log”

This is a moment of gratitude where I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Brian Taguchi, PCC , Kelly Davidson, PCC, COC , Julie Stockton , Fenneke Tjallingii-Brocken, MSc., ACTC, PCC, CPCC , Linda J. Alexander MA, CEC, PCC, EIA, ESIA, CCMMC , Indy Batth MA, CEC, CNTC, ORSC , émilie Bouchard, COC, ACC, FSA, FCIA , Gyasi ("Jaw-see") Bourne , Maura Da Cruz , Shaneef Karmali, ACC, COC , Darrell Lim ? Executive Coach and Business Advisor , Sarah Kassam, ACC, COC , David Ogle, MSc, PCC , Anne Walker , Rebecca Staffel , Andrea Fruhling , Cynthia Tam my awesome Peer Coaches; Asia (Joanna) Kucia and Vania Mendez , and my fantastic Organizational Coaching Team; Ashley Ling , Asia (Joanna) Kucia , Elizabeth Moore and @chico echeverria, as well as all my peers in UBC Organizational Coaching Program.

?Shout out to all the program leaders, Mentor Coaches and Alumni who were nothing but a great support all along the way during the past 12 months!

And finally, a big thanks to Ashley Sardjoe for his unwavering and continuous support that made this journey possible for me!

Tribute to Maestro Mohammad Esmaeili (musician) and Judy Swank, who were the first and most impactful coaches in my life!

?Disclaimer: I have used some quotes from Rumi, Suzan David and Jim Carrey. The original story was written by my daughter, Nona and I asked for her permission to proudly modify it and share it!

?