I made this video yesterday and immediately doubted whether I should post it or not, but these are issues I feel very strongly about. Whilst we are a profession with our roots in healthcare and the medical model and a profession which values independence and personal choice, we and our clients operate in a much wider world. This world is interconnected, global, interdependent and our occupational choices impact way beyond our immediate world. Enjoy and if you hate it, feel free not to tell me.
3
3 comments
left with a lot to think about!!
thank you
Jen,
My friend and amazing colleague Liz Lester recommended I have a look at your website, and I’m pleased I did. I must admit I believed that life coaching could learn from OT, now I’m open to a different view.
Thank you for putting ‘I to We’ out there, I loved it, your words have hit a cord with me. They were exactly what I needed to hear right now, and really helpful, although ‘m sure I a KAWA evening will do me lots of good too.
I think the questions you’ve asked are important ones for everyone to consider, especially now and as OT’s our view of human occupation is broader and dare I say it more holistic.
Personally I’d like to help people stop smoking, that would be my legacy and the better place I’d like to create as part of this lifetime, here on earth. Eventually I’d like to develop my approach to this with other maladaptive coping behaviours, but smoking is the one I know and understand. It’s the one I have personal experience of and stopped happily some years ago, after I’d worked it out. Now it’s time for me to share and develop this, although I’m sure that coaching will be an important element in this.
For me smoking isn’t just about health behaviours, although that is an important part of it. For me smoking is also about consciousness too. That’s probably a bit deep to go into here and now, but basically for me there is a link with global consciousness, and the maladaptive coping strategies we develop as human beings, as a result of stress and hopelessness, then we share these as a society, and they become ‘normalised.’ It’s all a bit upside for me at times, but after listening to from ‘I to We’ I’m wondering if we may be on a similar wave length with this?
When we are treating ourselves and our planet with such a ‘throw away’ mentality, after all that’s come before us. We don’t seem to be listening or learning, from our ancestors, I think it’s time we started to at least ponder the bigger questions.
I’m sure I’ll benefit from coaching and developing more coaching skills along the way, I will definitely keep in touch with this website now.
Thanks Jen
Oh my word, Jen! I can relate to so much of what you say here, and across your website. Recently, I have noticed things about myself which I think (after watching your video), are things that I want to/could find a way to share with others…educate people about recycling, upcycling, how to make changes in your garden to encourage wildlife which take no time or money at all! I have become obsessed about recycling as much household waste as possible and luckily there is a young family that have set up a scheme just for that which I am using to educate myself and family and friends. I’ve absolutely loved becoming involved with a local hedgehog rescue centre (a one-woman-band in her garage!), and am fostering ‘hogs, and supporting them in the wild via our garden! I live in a built up area and yet they found our garden!!! And I love upcycling stuff as garden pots, ornaments, and using cardboard boxes for storage instead of plastic ones…The joy I get from all of this is off-the-scale! I would LOVE to help people recognise the beauty and the calm in the simple things of life..all of which can support everyone to de-stress..whilst giving something back. There’s a piece of land at the end of our road which I would love to work on with others to create a community garden…but my fear is that others will destroy it for ‘fun’. Lockdown has reignited my love for all of this….YOU have started me thinking that I could use all of these thoughts and turn them into actions…SOOOO glad I found you! xxx