“There is confidence in knowing that you are enough, your uniqueness is, in fact your strength, and you are meant to realize your dreams.”
Bonnie Fatio, A Fire in her belly
There are moments in life when you need to apply all the knowledge acquired over the years and just be in the moment. These last couple of weeks were in that logic and it made me realize yet again that we have very little control and yet that we do have choices on how to show up and act.
What a privilege to have that choice when others are stuck to a bed because of illness, have their human rights disrespected, sleep in the streets or do not get any formal education because they fall outside the systems far from home and family.
In Italy I had the privilege to be picked up by a taxi from the place where for a week I had been working with my colleagues from Redrim facilitating a feminine leadership program to bring about systemic organizational changes. The driver was particularly friendly, and I relaxed into the back seat. So much so, that I forgot my phone and all my travel documents in the taxi. I found myself in Milan airport with no phone, no ID just a stamped boarding pass. How stupid can you be!
It was one of these moments when I missed the old-fashioned public telephone cells and realized that the only connection I could activate was within. I could potentially not travel back to The Netherlands because I had no ID and not withdraw money from the bank. In split seconds I realized that this was one of these moments when you need to just be and connect to your own energy.
- First thing I did was to ground as I had learned working with Sarah McCrum.
- Second thing was to relax through the balancing breathing technique aligning myself from pelvic to head, like I practice daily thanks to my training as a multiple brain integration coach.
- Third was to center my energy under my navel to be able to move with purpose rather than freeze, to stay centered between the four leadership stances that I had spent the week exploring with female leaders in the CIYO.
- Forth I expanded my awareness by opening my heart realizing that I was not in a life-threatening situation and had the ability to ask for help in the local language. (Yes, I thanked my parents for having let me travel freely through Italy as of a young age.)
- Fifth I used the creativity of my head to find solutions.
- Sixth before reaching out for help to human beings, I made a beautiful request.
All the above happened in a couple of seconds and then things shifted in place. To make a long story short I got help from the local police officer who called the travel agency to inform the taxi driver. He also asked his colleague to show me the way to the back office of the flight company. They gave me the ok to travel without docs and I could travel back to NL. There the national police gave me a slight telling off and let me enter the country.
At the exit my partner expected me already knowing of my situation. My colleagues and friends had been informed by the travel agency and had contacted him.
A warm welcome that is for sure and a warm web of connections. I realized again how privileged I was…how important family, friends and caring colleagues are…
How different could it have been if I had not spoken Italian and Dutch, not had the training I had, not be flexible or simply not have shown up authentically how I am today.
I thank many and many certainly not enough for helping me on the way.