WholeBody Wisdom's
Seven C's
Each of the Seven C's are values that you can choose to practice in any moment. And by consistently using them, as part of a regular practice, you can transform both your inner and your outer life:
- Courage
- Curiosity
- Compassionate Connection
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Constructive Conflict
- Celebration
Courage: Courage makes everything else possible. Transform the fear into excitement and see life as one big experiment. It's not how many times you fall down that counts — but how many times you get back up.
Be willing to not just Dream — but also Do.
In reality, the thing that you fear usually doesn't end up happening anyway — and even when it does, it's usually waaay less harmful than you had built it up to be. How often do you end up treating threats to your ego as if they were threats to your life?
And remember — it's all useful feedback no matter what the outcome.
Curiosity: Curiosity is one form of openness. It gives us the power of a beginner's mind. At WholeBody Wisdom we value responding with excitement and curiosity when someone has a different opinion. We practice joyful, curious exploration — whether the issue at hand is: a new idea, a new food, a new way of doing things, a new adventure, or a new aspect of our partner's body.
Courage + Curiosity almost invariably leads to Wisdom.
Compassionate Connection: First for oneself: compassionately connect, explore, and accept each part of oneself. Then, from that place of self-acceptance and connection — compassionately open and connect with others.
Compassion, at it's best, is enabled by a combination of Power + Love + Wisdom.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said: "Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic."
And on the wisdom front, the French remind us: "Tout comprendre rend très indulgent" (To understand all is to forgive all.)
Communication: Skillful, authentic, whole-bodied, integrative: listening, expressing, and sharing. Part of skillful listening is valuing (not just tolerating) honest, Heart-Connected Feedback.
Collaboration: Very little of any importance has ever been accomplished alone. Besides, it's more fun to have others along on the journey.
Constructive Conflict: Conflict is a normal and necessary part of healthy (and certainly growthful) relationships.
Tuckman's four stages of group development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing. You can't get great "performing" if you're not willing to go through the "storming."
And, as we remind our business clients: "When two people always agree — one of them isn't needed." Or, from General George S. Patton: "If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn't thinking."
Vive la différence
Celebration, Play, Humor: Catch people (yourself and others) doings things right. And then applaud like crazy. Don't take things too seriously.
Remember, no one learns faster, or grows & changes at a more rapid rate, than a toddler — and they spend all day "playing."
And, their parents celebrate most every small thing they do, no matter how imperfect: "She walked, she walked!!" applauds the toddler's parent ... as the baby pulls herself up, takes one small step, and then falls back down on her butt.