Change the Conversation!
"We are never one thing: we are a conversation -everything we have been, everything we are now and every possibility we could be in the future." David Whyte
I am discovering what happens when you "change the conversation".
The conversation with yourself, with your loved ones, your colleagues, neighbours, community and friends. But also with people you barely know and may, at first glance, seem to have little in common with.
Everything is a conversation already and as David Whyte so beautifully describes in his poetry and his talks, the question is, will you face up to it? (More on David Whyte here)
As a parent, an entrepreneur, a yoga teacher, a partner and a citizen of the world I have given myself the magical mission of: "changing the conversation", writing about it and organising meet ups.
I am discovering what happens when you "change the conversation".
The conversation with yourself, with your loved ones, your colleagues, neighbours, community and friends. But also with people you barely know and may, at first glance, seem to have little in common with.
Everything is a conversation already and as David Whyte so beautifully describes in his poetry and his talks, the question is, will you face up to it? (More on David Whyte here)
As a parent, an entrepreneur, a yoga teacher, a partner and a citizen of the world I have given myself the magical mission of: "changing the conversation", writing about it and organising meet ups.
Why?
Keeping in mind that we can no longer ignore the larger picture, what is the conversation we need to stop having? and, are we asking the right questions?
The answers require creative minds and above all the acceptance that sometimes there is no (immediate) answer. Agreeing on a question may be a very unexpected leap in the right direction.
The answers require creative minds and above all the acceptance that sometimes there is no (immediate) answer. Agreeing on a question may be a very unexpected leap in the right direction.
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Our first Change the Conversation live meetings will be starting in September 2016 in the area of Eindhoven (The Netherlands). Because I strongly believe that all global change is based on our small every day contacts we are starting right in the heart of it all, at home with our family.
How can we make the communication with our teenagers happier, smoother and more productive? As a mother of two I became instantly inspired when I met Riet Kooiman, a high school teacher and trainer in solution focused conversations. Riet has a very humorous way of bringing things in perspective and breaking down an otherwise seemingly pointless discussion in manageable bits. By using this technique the frustration, which usually tends to set in after going around in circles, disappears and makes room for humour and mutual acceptance.
You see, the question I have been asking myself quite regularly these last years, how can we keep the love and fun flowing in our family whilst the children are demanding their freedom and we as parents are demanding a healthy dose of parental guidance? And above all, what can I contribute to make that happen? It turns out that setting a different tone almost immediately affects the entire household and thus we all leave the house with a different vibe in the morning. I know that for a fact because it doesn't always work (or I don't always manage to stick to it!) and I immediately notice the difference in how the rest of the day unfolds.
I will be sharing our findings and inspirations after the event! Send me a quick message here if you want to be kept in the loop for future events or if you have any suggestions.
How can we make the communication with our teenagers happier, smoother and more productive? As a mother of two I became instantly inspired when I met Riet Kooiman, a high school teacher and trainer in solution focused conversations. Riet has a very humorous way of bringing things in perspective and breaking down an otherwise seemingly pointless discussion in manageable bits. By using this technique the frustration, which usually tends to set in after going around in circles, disappears and makes room for humour and mutual acceptance.
You see, the question I have been asking myself quite regularly these last years, how can we keep the love and fun flowing in our family whilst the children are demanding their freedom and we as parents are demanding a healthy dose of parental guidance? And above all, what can I contribute to make that happen? It turns out that setting a different tone almost immediately affects the entire household and thus we all leave the house with a different vibe in the morning. I know that for a fact because it doesn't always work (or I don't always manage to stick to it!) and I immediately notice the difference in how the rest of the day unfolds.
I will be sharing our findings and inspirations after the event! Send me a quick message here if you want to be kept in the loop for future events or if you have any suggestions.
