Just started reading Mastery by George Leonard. I think it might well be a book I'll read in a couple of days and already echoes lots of things I have both said and thought - but expressed far more succinctly and eloquently by George Leonard than I could ever have put them.
Its a bit uncanny really...... I'll comeback on completion with some reflections.
The Wright Way
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Reframing the 'critical' voice
Some 9-10 days ago I did a 2 hour session with a couple of young cricketers. These were guys I had coached many times before.
Technically I know their levels of expertise relative to their elite-aspirant status - and there is nothing technically to hold them back from achieving county selection prior to next summer. Emotionally and psychologically are where their issues lie, and so these were the areas of investigation I wanted to open up for them.
I laid out some basic issues surrounding reality and perception and challenged some of their currently held views. My gateway to this is usually the question "how many ways are there to get out of this sports hall?" Most people usually count the doors, windows and other sources of egress...and they were no exception! Having established for them there were thousands of ways, we then looked at how reality is pared down by our senses and filters, through a process of deletion, distortion and generalisation, into what we what we then compare with our maps of knowledge and experience and then finally perceive as reality.
Along the way, they each identified how their state and how they react to events and (more especially) their own technical actions, all contribute to the next and subsequent actions in some way. Ergo a positive reaction and frame of mind will lead to a better function of process and thus a better outcome.
They were both, primarily, victims of the effects of their own self-critic - which was manifest in a damning and earnest inner voice. Having discovered this helpful 'individual' they were able to reframe the voice to a degree where the earnestness became comical.
We installed a number of other processes to help maintain a grounded state, and they both discovered that mastery of themselves was now a significant step nearer. However, this was an unconscious discovery, since most of my delivered communicative intention was aimed at the unconscious.
Having seen one of the lads yesterday for another session I was able to observe some interesting feedback. It turned out that he had gone to a county training session in such a positive and assertive frame of mind that he had almost surprised everyone but himself in the way he was now performing. His other sporting activities also had taken on a new positive mental framework. His father was amazed and delighted at his new approach, whereas the player himself was quite matter of fact about it all.
What I know, though didn't reveal to father or son, was that having liberated him from the constant self appraisal and the vocal effects of damning and earnest self-criticism, that he is now able to fully express himself with total confidence. And this IS liberation for him, because he can now move on to the next part of his road to mastery, his game has gone up a level, and now the work on a new set of technical and psychological issues starts in earnest.
PW
Technically I know their levels of expertise relative to their elite-aspirant status - and there is nothing technically to hold them back from achieving county selection prior to next summer. Emotionally and psychologically are where their issues lie, and so these were the areas of investigation I wanted to open up for them.
I laid out some basic issues surrounding reality and perception and challenged some of their currently held views. My gateway to this is usually the question "how many ways are there to get out of this sports hall?" Most people usually count the doors, windows and other sources of egress...and they were no exception! Having established for them there were thousands of ways, we then looked at how reality is pared down by our senses and filters, through a process of deletion, distortion and generalisation, into what we what we then compare with our maps of knowledge and experience and then finally perceive as reality.
Along the way, they each identified how their state and how they react to events and (more especially) their own technical actions, all contribute to the next and subsequent actions in some way. Ergo a positive reaction and frame of mind will lead to a better function of process and thus a better outcome.
They were both, primarily, victims of the effects of their own self-critic - which was manifest in a damning and earnest inner voice. Having discovered this helpful 'individual' they were able to reframe the voice to a degree where the earnestness became comical.
We installed a number of other processes to help maintain a grounded state, and they both discovered that mastery of themselves was now a significant step nearer. However, this was an unconscious discovery, since most of my delivered communicative intention was aimed at the unconscious.
Having seen one of the lads yesterday for another session I was able to observe some interesting feedback. It turned out that he had gone to a county training session in such a positive and assertive frame of mind that he had almost surprised everyone but himself in the way he was now performing. His other sporting activities also had taken on a new positive mental framework. His father was amazed and delighted at his new approach, whereas the player himself was quite matter of fact about it all.
What I know, though didn't reveal to father or son, was that having liberated him from the constant self appraisal and the vocal effects of damning and earnest self-criticism, that he is now able to fully express himself with total confidence. And this IS liberation for him, because he can now move on to the next part of his road to mastery, his game has gone up a level, and now the work on a new set of technical and psychological issues starts in earnest.
PW
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Frogs into Princes
Having obtained a copy of Frogs into Princes by Richard Bandler and John Grinder from my local library, I (after a couple of renewals) am just on the point of finishing it.
Having heard a number of NLP gurus mention it as being a "Must read" and as being a book they still go back to, I felt it was necessary that I see for myself!
I need to read it again within the next 6 months or so so that the first third of the book opens itself up to me. Even though I am quite familiar with Richard Bandler's delivery style, I found that for me the narrative meandered until about p60 - and then it came to life big time and was really interesting and useful.
It was published in 1979 from transcripts of NLP introductory and training workshops. I'd thoroughly recommend it to those who are some way down the NLP road, though- especially as I've been told my own book Don't Think of a Black Cat was "right over my head" or "left me cold I'm afraid" or "can't get into that kind of stuff"! and I described it as basic.
I will get my own copy probably next year now, as I can't keep it out of the library permanently!
PW
Having heard a number of NLP gurus mention it as being a "Must read" and as being a book they still go back to, I felt it was necessary that I see for myself!
I need to read it again within the next 6 months or so so that the first third of the book opens itself up to me. Even though I am quite familiar with Richard Bandler's delivery style, I found that for me the narrative meandered until about p60 - and then it came to life big time and was really interesting and useful.
It was published in 1979 from transcripts of NLP introductory and training workshops. I'd thoroughly recommend it to those who are some way down the NLP road, though- especially as I've been told my own book Don't Think of a Black Cat was "right over my head" or "left me cold I'm afraid" or "can't get into that kind of stuff"! and I described it as basic.
I will get my own copy probably next year now, as I can't keep it out of the library permanently!
PW
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