This is so much imprinted in who I am that it is even difficult to describe. All I know is that I have a visceral negative feeling each time my freedom is infringed upon. And I know that I will never voluntarily choose interacting with anything or anyone that could jeopardize my freedom of thinking and expressing myself.
I value depth in almost everything I do: in connection with others, in conversations, in observing the world around me, in the books I read and the movies I watch. This is probably what drove me to coaching, as good coaching is all about tackling the problems at their core and getting to the heart of the matter so that it produces long lasting changes in the client’s life.
I cannot pretend that I am different than who I really am for nobody’s sake. As time went by, I realized that my intrinsic need for authenticity and my desire to express myself sometimes hurt the people around me. Now I am minding my speech more so that I keep my authenticity, I express what I want to say but without hurting other people’s feelings.
This came later in my life as I did not understand its value when I was young or maybe it was of low importance to me back then. I realize now that compassion is the secret to happiness. Whether it is self-compassion or compassion towards others, there is no other feeling that instantly brings more joy to my heart.