Freedom of Choice

This week a story of no choice has been playing out. It has been a hard week for those tapping into the energy of this pain. On Monday the NZ government mandated vaccines for health & disability workers as well as teachers.

The pain that rippled through the community was palpable.

Where is our freedom? Is it as those who have spread the narrative of Nazi Germany playing out in our beautiful and pure Aotearoa?

Social Media's wheels get turning as all media outlets get ready for Super Shot Saturday... the Vaccinathon of all proportions. Those that remember those times, when we came together for the common good. Telethon and World Vision - remember the song? I think it has been a while since we said, what and how do we make an impact. It doesn't happen small... we tried that. NZer's (I think) don't like to make obvious waves. Yet, we do love making waves, we like punching well above our weight. Just ask Muhammad Ali.

As I hear people's rights being violated, I am reminded so clearly of a psychologist that survived the holocaust. In fact he did not only survive, he came out punching! Victor Frankl. Do you know what he contributed to psychology?

Freedom of Choice.

During his imprisonment he realised that it did not matter what happened to him on the outside, they could only penetrate his thoughts if he let them. He had control over his responses to the oppression to the torture, to everything that he was being subjected to.

What people are forgetting when they even suggest that what we are going through right now is even close to the holocaust. Is the fact that human beings survived and the Jews thrived and that the world stood up to this persecution. The rhetoric that I see in the media is about propaganda.

Depending upon what side you sit on. As my son says at 16 years of age. Look mum, if I want to see more of this, I just have to pause or look at a feed that is coming my way and then Instagram, Facebook, etc show me more of what they think I like. In the way he looks at it. He is in control of what he sees.

Whereas there is another story that is being told. That the media is in control of what we see.

How amazing a difference in a generation makes!?

Back to Frankl, who was also mentioned in Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective people. You know that man who all taught us how to manage time!

Victor Frankl realised as he was being tortured by the Nazi's that they could not control his thoughts. Psychology is only a 100 years old now, so we are talking half way in the understanding of psyche. He was capable of creating science that is standing as powerful in the now about how we look at our ability to make cause in the world.

If there is one thing that most of my clients see me do is hold my hands together and say, this is the work we are doing. It is my job to show you how to increase the space between these two hands.

The wider the space the more choice you have.

The more room there is for creativity, will/motivation and freedom to choose. So our goal is to increase this for you. So I have to challenge any of those beliefs that are limiting your freedom of choice.

In this moment, we have a new goat.... a baby goat. Since we have moved to the country on my idyllic 10 acres to recreate my childhood. I wanted to raise a baby farm animal. Last night, a friend posted a possibility. I called out to my lads...do we want a baby goat? It was a resounding yes! It got easier and easier, it was simply down the road.

So we called him Choice.

Choice Bro!

He doesn't really care what we called him, he just cared that he found someone to love and care for him. Or fed him... and he was ready to demand that. I would like to think that our many animals have found some pretty great humans to care for them. Their response and our pleasure in them has much to do with how we care for them. So we are always in control of the outcome.

If someone/something is not happy, then what are we doing that is causing this outcome. We always have choices and we always have control.

I am always up for a bigger conversation on this. Please contact me personally, if you want to be listened to in your concerns.

Meantime, we are all up for cuddling furry babies!