Hi Kathy, (not sure if this is best for the list or if it should be
PEM---if too much detail for listreader, please delete!)
A couple ideas off the top, then I'm going to dinner and see if I have any
more ideas later. I somewhat hesitate to even submit this to you because
such different styles work for different people. However, maybe reading it
will synchronistically spur some ideas for you that are unique to you and
work wonderfully for you.
Some things I have done in somewhat similar circumstances:
Discuss some of the dynamics of layoffs and how participants experience that
as briefly as possible, but enough for folks to get to express themselves
and/or feel "heard". (I'm looking for ways around that part, but people who
are not Abe-thinkers do want to be heard--even we Abe-thinkers do--listen to
us explaining at Abe conferences--Abe cuts some of us off before we create
more of what we don't want, but allows many others to continue considerably,
depending on what they seem to need.)
Usually bring out something about the negative thoughts that often occur,
but I try to comment on these lightly: sort of like "negative thoughts we
all have but that don't serve us very well." I don't like to spend much
time on how real these can be because that makes them all the more real.
(This is, of course, contrast, but I try to keep it very concrete and
understandable in their experience.)
Then talk some about how physiology works and how negative/hopeless
thoughts create problems psychologically and physiologically. You may
already have great references for that or you might like to use some of the
material in HEARTMATH SOLUTION by Doc Lew Childre. (I find the heartmath
material a little challenging to teach to others--haven't mastered it myself
yet although I believe it is VERY powerful and "on the leading edge" so I
personally wouldn't try to teach their solution, but would use it or
something similar to highlight why it doesn't do well to dwell on the
negative thoughts that are natural but not helpful.)
Sometimes in here I can talk about how attention is the mechanism that
mediates whether we have positive or negative physiological and
psychological reactions and give some examples.
Than go to some better thoughts. I do sometimes teach focus wheels if
people seem ready to listen, but I make them sound very concrete. I do
comment that you have to tune into your inner direction but I don't
elaborate much on that unless I get some encouragement from the audience.
Again, I try to use a light touch.
Then I might take SKANS competencies and ask them to help develop some ways
of knowing if they are meeting the competencies (for themselves, perhaps,
not necessarily for the whole group.) You can put the stuff they generate
on the board or flip chart or whatever and sometimes insert gentler words--I
do always ask permission to do that, but I also communicate that I may ask
to do that.
One way to frame this is, "What would be the FIRST signs that a person is
getting this?" "What might later signs look like?" As people give
responses, I might help them see that first signs are different for
different people and that it may be up to THEM to show YOU (or each other)
what the first signs might be for themselves. I.E., involve them in imaging
the first signs and the later signs for themselves and ask them to be alert
to other signs that might come up without them even figuring it out ahead of
time.
Humm, hunger calls.
One dynamic I'm thinking about is that they may already feel that they have
a lot of skills and may consider it a bit insulting that they should have to
develop more---or they may secretly or more blatantly feel that they have
almost no skills for the new learning that must take place. Whichever it is
would be interesting to me as it would help me frame what I'm going to teach
in a way that (at least I hope!) is less threatening and more congruent with
how they see themselves. Of course they do have skills: they have lived a
lot of life, but they may or may not perceive it that way.
Hope this has some helpful stuff in it. Again, congratulations on having
such a wonderful job opportunity to uplift and be uplifted by the
experiences before you (plural, you and them!).
Freedom and Joy
From: "Kathleen A. McGrane" <kathy@...>
----- Original Message -----
From: Kathleen A. McGrane <kathy@...>
To: focus1 <focus1@...>; <Abraham-Hicks@...>
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 1999 4:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Abraham-Hicks] My class
Appreciating your feedback. Would be interested in any suggestions you
have;
don't feel limited by my format. I am looking for ways to express this in
everyday language that will release the resistance and fear, not create
more.....looking forward to hearing from you.
Kathy
