What do luxury, directing actors and PTSD have to do with life coaching?

Which one of these three books I am reading at the moment has to do with life coaching?

None of them.

And all of them.

The Luxury Strategy talks about marketing strategies for luxury brands.

Directing Actors is about... the art of directing actors.

Le corps n'oublie rien (the French translation of The Body Keeps The Score) explains how traumatic experiences during childhood lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and what can be done about it.

The Luxury Strategy provides an abundance of recommendations that also apply to the work I do with my clients when we redefine their self-concept and grow their self-confidence: When it comes to luxury, being unique is what counts, not any comparison with a competitor. Luxury is the expression of a taste, of a creative identity, of the intrinsic passion of a creator; luxury makes the bald statement "This is what I am". [...] "Never compare yourself" is the key motto.

If you live by this motto, whilst remaining open-minded and capable of self-investigation, you will be able to create the life you truly desire for yourself.

The author of Directing Actors offers her readers the exhilarating prospect of never again saying these four words: "I had no choice." [...] If the producer of your feature film tells you she can't get the money for the project unless you accept a certain actor in the lead role - perhaps an actor you think is wrong for the part - you must make the choice to work with that actor or give yourself permission to walk off the project. Not that I encourage you to renege on your promises or give your word frivolously, but tackling disappointments with the sensibility that you are sticking with it out of choice gives you your freedom.

As children, we had no choice. We had to do whatever was expected of us in order to survive. This is still the case for some adults under certain political, social or familial regimes but for most of us, we can choose. We can choose to change the way we think about life and ourselves. We can choose to stop complaining. We can choose to ask for help. We can choose to quit a job or end a relationship. We can choose to learn to understand the language of our body, feel our truth and live according to it. And we must. It is not always easy but it is what changes the world and the only thing that makes life worth living.

Le corps n'oublie rien souligne qu' ignorer ou déformer les messages de son corps a un prix: on devient incapable de détecter ce qui est vraiment dangereux ou nocif et, tout aussi grave, ce qui est salutaire. L'autorégulation repose sur l'entretien d'une relation amicale avec son corps. Sans elle, on doit s'appuyer sur une régulation extréeiure: médicament, drogues, réassurance constante ou soumission compulsive aux désirs des autres.

This is something that I often notice in my clients to various degrees: because they don't understand or are not even aware of what is happening within themselves on a very concrete level - a tension in the jaw or the toes, an impulsion to eat, a certain tone of voice - or on a subtler level - their mind going away from their body in certain specific situations, the location of the energy in their body - they are not able to make the decisions that are right for them. They rely on the opinion of others, on what they think they "should" do, they doubt themselves, change their mind constantly and end up making a decision that they later regret. This has a tremendous impact on their private life and also on the way they lead business.

No matter the language, the culture and the topic, the Wisdom of Life is present everywhere. Once you can feel it in your body you are forever attuned to it and guided. You don't need to make decisions anymore - they come to you or they make themselves in front of you. The only thing you do is follow your internal compass because you have learned to trust your body again. You always knew how to do it but you were taught to distrust your feelings and regard your body as an enemy or as something getting in the way. Spirituality is embodied and the truth is in the body.

You are not angry, you are just tired... or Get over it now! or even I will just finish this and then eat something., these are all ways we cut ourselves from the truth of our bodies and teach our children, friends and colleagues to do the same. Pay attention to this on a daily basis and see what happens when you act in accordance with what your body tells you.

#personaldevelopment #spiritualgrowth #decisions #business #luxury #filmdirector #mentalhealth #ptsd #emotions