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The bare bones of this story appeared in a Seishindo Newsletter five years ago. Today's version is what will show up in my forthcoming book.
1. From The Perspective of a Child
An open back truck carrying a children's ride and blaring out music, used to come round my neighborhood in Brooklyn during the summer. When I was eight years old this truck was THE thing I yearned for.
You heard the music in the distance...
Raced to your mom demanding money...
Ran madly to the truck hoping to be the first in line...
Hopped aboard when it was finally your turn...
Had your ride, (Which was always too short)...
And upon exiting you got a small "gift" (Which most of the time was pretty boring.)
On one particular day towards the end of summer, my gift from the driver was a sheet of tattoos. I quickly got VERY excited because smack dab in the middle of the sheet, was a HUGE tattoo showing Davie Crockett killing a HUGE bear. The tattoo was so big, and in my eyes so realistic looking, that it was actually scary!
I ran home to have the tattoo applied to my bare chest, and I remember thinking how great it was I didn't yet have hair on my chest, because hair would have only made the tattoo impossible to properly apply.
What happened next, was a tragedy that took me a long time to get over, and I'd like to pause now, for a moment of silent remembrance.....
As hard as it might be to believe, my father wet the tattoo instead of my skin, and I was quickly left standing there with black water running down my chest, and great big tears running down my face, as I fell into a state of shock and disbelief.
It took me a couple of minutes to pull myself together and run outside, hoping to catch the truck before it made its way to Flatbush or Coney Island. But for some still unknown reason this was meant to be one of the darkest days of my life, and the truck was nowhere to be found.
As a child, especially during the summer, each day is a grand adventure, and each day often seems endless, and totally absorbing. This sense of fully being in the moment is one of the true gifts of childhood, and at times it can also be a liability. Children have little sense of the length and breadth of their life, and thus one bad moment often seems to extinguish the possibility of happiness in the future.
I can look back on numerous events I felt played a major role in determining the course of my life. In hindsight I see the course of my life was determined by ME, and not the events that were seemingly forced upon me.
As an adult I realize each moment leads to another moment, each event leads to another event. I can choose which moments and events I want to give the most importance to, and which moments and events I will use to define my life. By accepting that much of what goes on in life is outside my control, I can free myself to pay attention to the aspects of my life I do have some ability to influence. During challenging times I can give thanks for the future, knowing that even as day turns into night, and spring turns into summer, my bad time will turn into a good time, my sadness will turn to joy. When the challenges of life seem too big, it's comforting to know nothing stays the same forever. Neither the bad times or the good.
By the way, I'm still in the market for some Davey Crockett tattoos. If that truck happens by your neighborhood, be sure to stop the driver and see what he's got. I wouldn't be surprised if he still remembers me!
2. Upcoming Seishindo Workshop
I'm happy to be coming back to the DC area again, and I have been listening carefully to what people tell me they most want from Seishindo.
This workshop will primarily be for coaches and consultants who want to take some of the tools of Seishindo back into their work life. With this in mind, I am focusing on nice bite sized chunks that will serve you well.
DC has become a third home for me...
Tokyo being my second home.
I very much appreciate all of the support I've received from so many of you over the years. I hope to see some of you in cool and breezy Germantown this time around!!
Warmly,
Charlie
Seishindo Somatic Coaching:
Embrace the Wisdom of the Body's Intelligence
July 23 - 25, 2008
Wellspring Retreat Center, Germantown, Maryland
A three-day workshop led by Charlie Badenhop, the originator of Seishindo Coaching.
• Do you find yourself unable to help certain clients without really understanding why?
• Have you discovered that helping people change the way they think is often not enough to change the deep seated emotions that drive their behavior?
You'll be introduced to precise well proven methods for observing, understanding, and respectfully interacting with, the non-verbal conversations of your clients. You'll also learn simple yet powerful practices that help you meld the wisdom of the body with the wisdom of the intellect—So that more often, what you and your clients think and say, matches the way you are in the world.
You will:
• Cultivate intuition or "unconscious knowing" and teach others how to do the same.
• Access "special learning states" that lead to greater rapport with and understanding of clients.
• Focus on your client's strengths and potentials, rather than helping them overcome weaknesses.
• Experience how the way people use their body determines their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
To sign-up, and or find out more, go here:
http://www.seishindo.org/workshops/2008/usa_200807.html
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