I'm an old dog. I've developed training content, delivered content, attended and received content and I rarely, rarely see anything new. I am so impressed when I see something new. Many times the content is repackage concepts from ages ago with a tiny new spin....until I met Marilyn King that is and Olympic Thinking.
I didn't know who Marilyn King is, as some of you may be saying to yourselves now. She's an Olympian who has an amazing story, not just amazing an incredible story. She's done a lot of work with schools, companies and others. She talks about Olympic Thinking and how you can apply it to your lives or business. I watched this YouTube video in preparation to hear her speak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trx7mnVOtck
Marilyn is an intelligent and lovely woman who is immediately engaging. I listened to her talk and was thankful that I was not on video conference as what happened next was completely unexpected. My throat started to get dry and tighten as she talked. I was supposed to be writing a mantra or intention regarding what I was going to focus my Olympic Thinking upon. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. Why was I crying? I had never reacted to anything like that ever. I wasn't sobbing but tears were just running down my cheeks in a steady stream but I wasn't sad. My reaction was out of my control. It was just happening.
I was supposed to be doing something else but my brain kept shouting this; "I wish I could heal my kids. I would like to be able to heal my kids. I can heal my kids. I am healing my kids". Wait, I can't heal my kids. What is happening here? I kept going with the thought and it became this..."I am healing my kids by being an advocate, and being in tune with their needs. They're getting better every day". Wow! Tears were still coming down my cheeks but I didn't care and didn't even know they were there. My brain was flowing and I was being taken on a journey. I thought of all the MPS parents and their kids. This might be uplifting to them.
The discussion ended, and then I began thinking. I can't heal my kids. I am not a healer. I am not a religious figure. Marilyn heard about what happened and talked to me 1:1 directly.
I'll keep much of what we talked about private because it was amazingly deep and personal. Marilyn asked me, "Are you OK? How are you dealing with all of this? How do you do everything you do? Have a demanding job, have children with an illness, are you taking care of yourself?"
I replied, " I am not an Olympian but I run. Without that, well...that is my release." "Truth is I am not OK at this point in time, I'm in a funk. I am frustrated because I am everything. I am everything to my family". (That even chokes me up a little bit typing what I said.) I speak for our family to the doctors. I research every option, explore everything I can to help everyone. Sometimes it is frustrating, and once in a while I get frustrated with having so much on my plate." Many times I am OK with it, in fact 95% of the time but sometimes I think it's too much for one person but I can't adopt that attitude...I can't think like that. I cannot. I have a great, supportive family. My family is awesome. My husband is awesome."
Further, I said, "Marilyn, I can't heal my kids." Marilyn shared resources, personal stories, and taught me that I can do what my brain told me I can do. There are things right in front of me that I can do. Things like guided imagery for my kids (cancer patients use this), she told me about Sheva Carr whose story resonated with me so much. The children Sheva was helping in a war torn country made her almost sick when she had to leave them....this speaks to me I cannot make myself ill while I try to help my children as well as a whole community of rare diseases.
Every day. Every day...I say to myself, " I am healing my kids by being an advocate, being in tune with their needs. They're getting better ever day." Every day.
Thank you Marilyn. Thank you brain. Thank you Olympic Thinking.
Amy
