Wrestling Advice

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: . . .A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to break down, and a time to build up; . . . A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; . . ." (Ecclesiastes).

My season of reinvention continues. I've broken down, wept and laughed. I 've lost some ideas and demands that needed losing, and I'm now in the time of building up. Reinvention, I've discovered, counts on you understanding who you are now and then clearly defining what you want to become. I'm finding it tricky business honestly and authentically moving from one to the other; old ideas can stand strong and it is taking some wrestling with them to get to the "cast away" stage.

So, I turned to a friend, Jeff, who is a talented wrestling coach, for advice. "What are those top five things I need to become aware of and practice to successfully wrestle something to the mat?" I asked him. And here's what I've taken from his list: 1) See your purpose - identify clearly that opponent, what it is that you want to take down; 2) Identify the skill set you need to even walk onto the wrestling mat; 3) Practice, and practice again, those skills with your goal in mind; 4) Trust that your are ready for the match and visualize what you want to have happen as you wrestle; and 5) Invite your opponent onto the mat with you, let go and wrestle.

And now, here I am, standing at the mat, working at trusting myself and readying for the match. Reinvention is simply one invitation away.

Jane