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April/May 2007 newsletter Welcome While that memory has not come up while doing a piece of NLP work for myself, it’s the kind of story that often does come to the surface when clients come in to do change work. In this newsletter we look at stories, where they come from and how they impact our lives. All Good Wishes, Untitled So you must not be frightened, if a sadness rises up before you, The Power of Story Who are we without our stories, both personal and collective, good and bad? There is power in our stories—the power to keep us in place and the power to transform. The power to shape our world. No two people’s stories are alike. Siblings growing up in the same household develop different stories about themselves and how they fit into the world. How does this happen? We are all here to experience and learn different things. We start creating our belief systems at very early stages of life. The belief systems become the filters through which we see the world, which determines what our stories will be. I was at a training not too long ago where one of the participants was in front of the room with the trainer and had the opportunity to share a bit about their life. It went something like this: “My mother tried to kill me when I was a baby. In my thirties, my ex had an affair with my best friend and left me. Oh, and I was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter.” They told their story in a matter of fact way, but it didn’t hide the pain of someone whose life has been full of grief. The fact that this is what they chose to share about them self with over one hundred people also speaks to how they view themselves in the world. With NLP, we look at the structure and patterns that hold the stories in place that affect our lives. In the example just given, there is a pattern of loss and betrayal. That is their history. But it’s not who they are, and it doesn’t have to determine who they end up being. Here’s another example. I have a big yard. Right now, the dandelions are taking over. I see their puffy white globe heads and I feel my muscles tense. “I really need to get out there and take care of that,” I tell myself, and then look at the list of the other things I “need” to get done. Somehow, the puffy white globe heads are still there the next day and the next... I went to my naturopath recently and the topic of dandelions came up when I was talking about feeling overwhelmed. My naturopath pointed out that dandelions are actually full of nutritive value. Their leaves and roots have been used a long time for healing. I imagined a dandelion farm, where the plants are actually tended with care and encouraged to multiply! This small shift in my perception has changed how I see the dandelions populating my yard. No longer unwelcome invaders, they are potentially part of my next salad or cup of tea. They are plants that can contribute to my health. I wonder what shifts the person who shared at the training might make so that their relationship with their story, and their future experiences, could be different? What are your stories? What would you like the next chapters to be like? The possibilities are endless. Family Constellation Evenings For more information, contact 206-417-4541 or info@karapomeroynlp.com. You can also read the article about family constellations in the last newsletter: http://www.karapomeroynlp.com/newsletter_feb2007.htm More classes at Life Re-Solutions Starting Soon! For more information on the next NLP Foundations class, or other class offerings at Life Re-Solutions, see: www.life-re-solutions.com. Comments Disclaimer Please feel free to reproduce, copy or distribute this newsletter with people you know who would be interested in the content. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety, including my contact and copyright information. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Kara Pomeroy is required. Thank you for spreading the word. Copyright © 2007. Kara Pomeroy NLP. All rights reserved.
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