Playing with Possibility
My boyfriend and I are huge Leon Bridges fans.
We even went to go and see him live in Madrid when we still lived in the Netherlands, and it was GOLD.
Anyway, I digress.
What I really wanted to talk about is related to a line in one of his songs, Beyond. He's talking about someone he thinks he may be falling for and says,
"Do you think I'm being foolish if I don't rush in?"
Leon Bridges - Beyond
Other than the fact that I'm a huge fan, here's why I love this line so much.
It reminded me of how, in coaching, we're often playing with possibilities. We're taking perspectives that may previously not been available to you.
In this scenario, Leon Bridges is playing with the common sentiment that "fools rush in". That only the foolish and the irresponsible rush into something without an armour of caution to protect them from heartbreak or failure.
And he's exploring the opposite... what if it might be foolish not to rush in?
What if it might be an act of stupidity to hold back or risk missing an opportunity that may never come around again?
What if sometimes the least foolish thing we can do is jump right into the middle of our lives, without a second thought and with our WHOLE hearts?
Now, you might be thinking this is the nonsense of hopeless romantics and that's wonderful for them. But you live in the real world with real risks and real threats.
And yes, you do.
But you also live in a real world with endless possibility for beauty and aliveness.
And your brain likely is already more than aware of the risks and threats and all the things that could go wrong. So what if we explored the other side a little more? What if we lived a little in the land of possibility?
When you're scared to leave your job because you don't want to be irresponsible...
... you could explore how leaving your job might actually be the more responsible option.
When you say you don't have time to go on that trip to see your sister...
... you could explore how you don't have the time NOT to.
When you feel you could never be the person who has a thriving practice and is known for their expertise...
... imagine what it would be like to already be that person and what you would do from that place?
When you tell yourself you can't afford to see less patients even though you're burnt out...
.... you could explore how seeing less patients may actually put you in a better financial position.
When you feel like it's selfish to say no to a patient who wants to book in your lunch break...
... explore why it might be selfish to say yes to them.
All of these examples are just exploring the opposite idea. You can do this with any aspect of your life where you feel stuck or are worried about what it means about you as a person if you do something.
And you can do it in a way that feels fun and playful, with no pressure to convince yourself of anything or change how you show up in the world.
Just allow yourself to play with the possibilities.
You might just discover magic 😉
