There are people around us in extreme emotional pain and they don't know an emotional doctor.
Like riding a bike we can learn essential emotional skills and then almost forget we have them.
One model of human development, which I like, is like this:-

1 unconsciously incompetent
2 consciously incompetent
3 consciously competent
4 unconsciously competent

think about it............. in driving the car/riding a bike ........ get it?

This can then relate to reading self. Reading others. Seeing their soul. Knowing our own.

Talk about life skills!
These are the big ones.
The stuff which can make life joy* or sorrow.
Beautiful* relationships or relationships which are a weight on our shoulders, resting the sharp end on our soul, .....all these hurting relationships which we carry around with us into every location, relationship, job, interaction........... life !
(*largely)

I am boiling again.
Positive boil.

People have told me deep stuff. Real stuff. As well as being privileged I want to be of some use. Development is not jumping from A to Z ..... it is, in my experience, small steps, small bites of an elephant sandwich.
I tell myself that I am responsible to people not for people.

But then I have people around me who are-going through hell, facing the loss of a dear and unique loved one.
'Riddled with disease' - beautiful ones.
'Going to die' loved and precious ones.
Beautiful lovers with ugly killer 'taking over' growths.

So I pray.....................

Listen

with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridge to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water looking out
in different directions

back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you
in a culture up to its chin in shame
living in the stench it has chosen we are saying thank you
over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the back door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks that use us we are saying thank you
with the crooks in office with the rich and fashionable
unchanged we go on saying thank you thank you

with all the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us like the earth
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is

W. S. Merwin

.......................................my car needs a service, the journey to Italy in June helped me hit 13k miles this past 12 months.
The swot I did on myself was a bit like an oil change and new spark plugs. I feel more in focus already but need a bit more of 'service'.

Got a 'road less travelled' tonight. I have just done the prep and it feels good and nervous for me. One thing I am certain of, I am responsible TO these humans, not FOR them.
In this sort of missionary work we do, it is so easy to take on the ALL of people and that is unbearable but also creates dependancy ....not good for anyone. "we are free to be free" says Mr Mandela
I will give my all and it is always intense as we walk the edge of life together.

love to love you baby
thats a message from me ............. and Donna Summer

bhp

.......well ............. Monday and a meeting with others to enhance the betterment of work with those who are homeless are feeling hopeless.
How do you best know how to facilitate the freedom of a whole range of people with different needs.
Answer.
Just do it. And stop and evaluate and then just do it. The doing brings humans together and we all learn.

Greenbelt top meeting tonight ...... the first since the major festival which people are still raving about. Everyone just wants the next festival but us on the organizational side look at the glory but also the issues and how to reduce the negatives and hype the positive ....... and will we get a further major influx of people again this year? How do we plan and how do we budget.
But the vision is strong and the people in leadership are beautiful.

God a lover of the poor and the same God is a lover of the poorness in us.
That creators strength is in our stumbling and unfinishedness, incompleteness.

Tonight I pray for Archie, Martin John and all their family, and for Donna and Andy ............ you may not know the beautiful humans behind these names but a prayer from you will be special both in heaven and on earth.
bhp

What profit do we make if we lose our soul ......... that soul within is like an acorn which has the potential of an Oak Tree.
If we sell our soul to the things which don't hit the road to potential .......what does it profit ................

Love is a doing word
bhp

MTV on
my mind is more gripping
done a swot* on myself tonight
need to be on top of who I am
what I am doing
need to be doing the right things
not just responding
strategic

One thing since going from one job to three jobs is being less flexible.
I am tied for days and only really have a wee time to see friends and curry with some.
I like to curry my friends.

One of my three jobs ends it's term at the end of September and my swot told me I am not writing as I feel the need to. I do the blogs, but even that failing in the daily aim. But I have not pulled my books together and zilch during the past 5 months and 7 days.

So the rethink as I look at October onwards is interesting an a challenge.
I pray.
The swot comes out of my soul when I scratch it.
Another thing came clear.
I love the group work I do, even though it is a big challenge and leaves me flat after the energy output.
It also feeds my soul and my writing.

Well ...... thats it for tonight. I need to think on ..... what do you need to do ...... you can always email me you know!!

bhp
* a swot analysis, looking at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and strengths, a good evaluating method.

Saturday my team lost against the worst possible team ........ the local rivals Wigin'

England at rugby union and at football are not important set against the great sport of RUGBY LEAGUE.
But we lost. It was taped for me on Friday and my watching on Saturday was a sad view.

Come on the Saints

bhp

Life streams away so fast and it is busy for me ........ Friday I went to hear the Cobden lecture at Dunford House in Sussex. Bart Shaha was the man on the mike. He his the Secretary General of the World ......YMCA that is. He produced some great, inspiring and knowledgeable words about the world situation and the ymca response 'in it'. I will post the whole speech if I can get a cyber copy for you.

bhp

Leading a course about the deepest things in life ............. I sit on my hands .....that is the emotional picture of myself at the start of the session ..... as nervous as anyone there ........ do I pretend as they do and hide the feelings?

But then I share them and strategically unzip my chest and show those feelings, those scars ~I have collected ....... at least some of them.

I promote a confidentiality contract with the group so humans can be released to be as open as possible. That gives 'permission' to all to be free. (we are free to be free-quote Nelson Mandela) Do you think we give up the hope of being free? Of being free to love?
What a job ....... being the instrument of Shalom
What a job........ being a great lover of humans
What a job........ being Gods touch
What a job.........being Gods skin
What a job.........being in love with so many people

Yes ..... what a job you have
He has no touch but your touch
He has no skin but your skin

Lets be fantastic lovers ..............


"work like you don't need the money
dance like no-one is watching
sing like no-one is listening
and
love like you have never been hurt"

www.pipwilson.com

Today was a journey into west end London to be excited about the pending new ymca england website hey hey

There will be good things to stretch the soul and inform too.
Part of my passion is to stimulate the ymca movement in their pressured work to include spiritual/Christian exercise for themselves and the communities they work with.
Love it love it

Also I have shared ideas to provide for the needs of local YMCA's because the needs are great and many resources are needed......

And to spend time also with a beautiful daughter.
A meal 121.
Love it.
We miss each other too much and this a rare opportunity to have a meal and gas with each other.
Love love it.

Got myself a padded 'skin' for my G4 mactop today to stop the paper clip invasion into my c.d. burner ...... I would rather burn c.d.'s than people.
Also a spare firewire cable to charge my ipod in transit as I travel.

Gilles Peterson is on the wifi mac right now, streaming as I sit on the sofa with the tv on silent.............. I cannot only do one thing at once. I love the music coming out of that mans soul ...... my favorite dj.
Tomorrow I will journey for two hours through the big city with my ipod doing great massage on my soul. Today it was
'Grove Armada' and 'Underworld'......... 'back to mine' and tomorrow it has got to be 'Queen of the stone age' and more. Music penetrates so deep. Deep in my soul.

(Just been reminded by tv how much some people share with me and show trust and confidence in confidentiality in a relationship. Thank you if you do that. I will never break a confidence.)

And the book I started to read today is 'being human'. More details later as I have not got it with me. It will be my companion for the coming weeks as I travel and read.

A cigar and a Cointreau is now my companion as I slow to bedtime.

Thanx for the few who let me know that they have read my blog. It is nice to know and you must feel free to email me or respond on the blogspot. I is good to know you are there but I will do this anyway
- I need the therapy of doing this
- It could all become the base for my next book!!

Tomorrow I start a new 'road less travelled' course and I am nervous.
New people.
New environment.
New stretch
New life.

I will let you know how I go on.






"work like you don't need the money
dance like no-one is watching
sing like no-one is listening
and
love like you have never been hurt"

www.pipwilson.com

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

I am running a course over the next few months and thought I would share the sort of thing it is.................. this is an out take of the text.......

The Road Less Travelled

A three evening course on Personal Management

including Awareness Training, Assertiveness Training, Communication and Group Work Skills led by Pip Wilson, author and Group Worker.

Details

The objectiveis to spend three evenings together actively exploring communication. No experience necessary– only a willingness to participate at a level decided by yourself and the group. It will be interactive – meaning non-threatening discussion led and guided to provide a whole new experience of communication – body mind and spirit. It will be enjoyable and life affirming.

The Group Leader is Pip Wilson who has had thirty years experience of leading teams and groups of all ages. He is author of 4 books, which include many exercises for groups – now used world-wide. He will lead the group into enjoyable, stimulating, stretching experiences which are not easy to describe on paper. The new skills and awareness will equip each person, differently, to enable them to realise their own potential and help to realise that in others.

Join us on the journey.

The Road Less Travelled.

A THOUGHT ........

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their love.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The one who risks nothing does nothing and has nothing - and finally is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow.

But he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.

Chained by certitude, he is a slave and has forfeited freedom.

Only one who risk is free!

A STORY...............

STARFISH

As the old man walked along the beach at dawn, he noticed a young woman ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Finally catching up with the young woman, he asked her why she was doing this. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning. “But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish”, countered the other. “How can your effort make any difference?” The young woman looked at the starfish in her hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. “It makes a difference to this one”, she said.

Content.

Listening skills, communications skills, spiritual awareness, assertiveness training, observation skills, self-awareness, affirmation, managing feelings and giving and receiving from a special group of people – AND GOOD FUN.

www.pipwilson.com