Last weekend, I was a participant in a training again. About feeling and trust. Not exactly my areas of expertise, personally. It was about showing yourself, vulnerability, control, that sort of thing.

The trainer was a wonderful woman from Australia. Both feet firmly on the ground, swears a lot (and often), playful, knowledgeable, sparkling eyes and just one big ball of love and passion. No soothing words in a silky voice—because I’m highly allergic to that kind of thing. With her, I feel safe. I dare to push my boundaries. Thanks to her tough love.

But damn, what a bitch of a topic this is…

Anyway, I believe that if I expect something from my clients, I have to be willing to face it myself too. Practice what you preach! Experiment, stretch yourself, bring out your best.

So, I went in again. A deep dive into the murky depths of my inner world. Searching for that one dark room in my inner house that I’d rather just keep locked.
“Things are going fine now, aren’t they? Just leave it shut!”
That’s Bruno talking—my inner critic. He sounds reasonable, but what I’m telling myself (or what Bruno is telling me) isn’t going to help me grow.

It would be the easy way out. And I’m not settling for that.

Bruno turns up the volume.
“Loser. You don’t even dare! What kind of coach are you, really?”

Ouch. Anger rises.

It’s the push I needed. Off with the floaties and into the deep.
Let’s go.

The desire to grow is bigger than the fear of pain.

The growth I experienced in this training didn’t come from staying in my head. Not from talking about it, or learning yet another theory to help me understand emotions better. That’s not where feeling lives. And trust doesn’t live there either.

The growth came from experiencing it in my body.
From noticing my instinctive reactions. From accepting discomfort, staying with myself, listening to myself, and putting the judgment on pause for a while.

Without support, it never would’ve gone this deep.
External support from my incredible trainer—and internal support from my Bruno.

Want to meet your own Bruno?
He’s a regular guest in my training programs and coaching.

‘Ignorance is bliss when the truth is too much to bare, but truth will set you free for those with shoulders strong enough to carry it.’ – Ralph Harlow