Tuesday 3 March 2015

Your mountain is waiting




I've been quiet on the blogging front of late due to life taking over a bit. Many a weekend has been spent getting stuck into a long overdue clear out and I have also been contemplating a long overdue change. I find big changes quite stressful, though usually I get to the stage where I recognise they’re necessary and then start to see the positives and potential excitement. 

I was delivering some training at work last week which drew me into interesting conversations and discoveries (ones which tie in quite well with my blog post from December, 'Thinking Things Over', where I referred to a meditation class I went to). The training explored some coaching methods and techniques, and my training partner shared her experience of a recent Neuro Linguistic Programming course she had been on.

I find the idea of NLP interesting – it focuses on how we can learn to control our thoughts, and in doing so can free ourselves from negative thinking. A great book she recommended is,‘How to take charge of your life: The Users Guide to NLP’ by Richard Bandler,(the co-creator of NLP), Alessio Roberti and Owen Fitzpatrick. Some of the quotes from this really got me thinking. 

In my job I work with clients who sometimes hold themselves back with limiting beliefs, and really I think we’re all guilty of that to some extent. I know how many opportunities I’ve missed out on due to self-doubt and it’s something I still struggle with in some aspects of my life. 
A couple of my favourite quotes from the book were: 

Believe that you can achieve what you want, and you will set yourself free to achieve it

And:

Our biggest limit is not in what we want and cannot do; it is in what we have never considered that we can do 

On my way home on the train on Monday I looked up at one of the stops and noticed a poster on the railings, (which I think was part of an art project). I didn’t have time to absorb the full picture but what I caught was an image of the word ‘Worry’ on the left hand side, changing into the words ‘Things got Better’ and underneath it said something along the lines of, ‘Take control of your thoughts and change your world.’ It was strange noticing this the day after I just finished the NLP book but there’s a theory that our brains also seek out what we want to find. So maybe these are all messages I need to hear just now, and at the end of the NLP book the authors encourage anyone who reads it to share their messages, which I guess is partly why I’m posting about this, because maybe these are things you need to hear too. 

The title of my post is inspired by a Dr Seuss book, ‘Oh, the places you’ll go.’ Twice in the past week I’ve seen a reference to this book and it’s one I personally love. A work colleague once gave it to me as a parting gift many years ago and I think it’s very uplifting and inspiring. 

I’ll leave you with Dr S’s parting words: ‘Your mountain is waiting, So…get on your way!'

17 comments:

  1. This is a truly inspiring, thoughtful post, Vikki. Many thanks. I think sometimes we do all need to bring to mind that anything is possible if we believe in ourselves. Often the only limits are those we set in place for ourselves.

    I love that Dr Seuss book too. I bought it for my eldest daughter over twenty years ago and we read it endlessly back then. I feel like hunting it out right now, partly for the beautiful memories and partly for a timely reminder that the mountain is not an obstacle, but a thrilling challenge. Good luck with your changes, Vikki. Let us know how you get on. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Joanna. I enjoyed re-reading the Dr Seuss book- a lovely story to read to your daughter as she grew up. It's one I think I'll be sharing with my niece when she's a bit older!

      Delete
  2. I love this Vikki, and I think it is definitely something we all need to hear - right now and regularly. Perhaps something to write down and stick on the wall? I've been reading a lot of inspirational things recently and feeling like this is 'my time', our time, now. Don't wait basically. Let's go conquer our mountain (range!) xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rebecca. I am all for conquering those (metaphorical) mountains :) And I think somewhere I can hear a lion roaring..

      Delete
  3. Brilliant post, Vikki - I totally agree that we limit ourselves with self-doubt and small thinking sometimes. Will be getting that book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Mum. I think you'll enjoy the book - it made me think a lot!

      Delete
  4. Very uplifting, Vikki. It's so important to believe in yourself and make things happen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely Jean! It's good to remind ourselves of that and I'm glad you found the post uplifting

      Delete
  5. Believing we can do things is a start, but we also need to take appropriate action.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Definitely, Patsy and that's what I really liked about this book - there was a whole section at the end about how to take action and achieve your goals, with simple questions to give you direction

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've read a book on NLP Vikki as I have a friend who is training how to work with clients. I've read a few books on psychology in an attempt to understand how my characters would think and behave in certain situations, but also because it's a subject which interests me. NLP is a different approach, and seems to focus on the present and future, rather than the past.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've read a lot of psychology books too, Anita, as I studied this as one my subjects for the first couple of years at Uni. I really enjoy reading about new developments like NLP, and as you say it's a good one as it focuses on the present and future which I think helps people have more chance of moving forward.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Vikki,
    Thanks for sharing this post. I agree about the mind seeking out things it wants us to find, being able to believe you can do things is harder though, but we have to try...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Maria, just noticed your comment! Thanks for dropping by. I think once we do start believing we can do things, great things can happen!

      Delete
  11. A very inspiring post, it makes me want to go out and tick off some items on the bucket list, that's for sure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by my blog - apologies I'm just catching up on comments now. Glad I've inspired you to work through your bucket list!

      Delete