You guys may think where I have been the past weekend. I’ve been participating in a three-day intensive seminar called The Courage to Create, organized by ECI (Executive Coach International). A place where we are being developed to create our destiny. A program where we can clear our emotional clutters and work in our goals and dreams.

The preparation

One coach is assigned to each of us before the 3 days intensive program. I met my coach Tan Xing Jian, 2 weeks before the event. His role is more about preparing me to go into the program. He also pushed me to do my homework (which is very important in ECI). If you are curious about the homework, it’s much more about our observation on the life we have right now. It’s about the questions we often ask ourselves, the behaviors we keep on doing. And the most important of all are the 25 memories we have on events in the past.

The program

The 3 days program is very intensive. It was quite far from the place where I stayed and I had to stay overnight in the area. They started at 9am, the first two days ended around 2am, and the last day lasted about 7am in the morning. I’m even surprised that I survived the 22 hours non-stop (except a little break here and there).

What I can say about the program is really about clearing out your mess. If you seek deeper into your heart, you will gain much more understanding about your past, your big and little trauma. And this may have affected your belief and behavior, unconsciously. That is what the program led us to, bringing the awareness about those subconscious beliefs.

The program has opened up a lot of things for me as well. I am much more aware of the “machines” that has been running within me all along. One of them is what I’m going to share with you in the next post, “The Saviour”. The realization does humble me and made me clear how it is not true at all in my life.

The awakening

photo credit: Brymo

The awareness is really one thing that made me realize that I don’t have to be run by those “machines” within me. The realizations didn’t change me, but the realizations give me option on what to behave, what to choose. Is it the old “machine” that has been running my life for 26 years, or the right “person” that I have to work on start from this moment onwards?

Recalling and re-experiencing my past made the trauma it carries lose its power. The options are now within me. I have the control of the choice what I want to do with my life. The clarity doesn’t bring the skills you need, but at least, it’s as if you can return to the day you were born. You can rewrite your story. You are given with another new sheet of paper; and you can write whatever you like (again).

And one important point, you don’t have to be afraid to be weak, and you don’t have to be proud to be strong. It’s back to the innocence, back to the point where you can start all over again.

The aftermath

It’s not the end. The program doesn’t end there. Clearing up your mess leaves you with an empty room, but you should not leave it empty. The program opens up with a lot of energy. That comes from understanding all the bad “machines” that has been running you so far. If you stop there, most likely, you will be back to the same “you” again, run by all those “machines”.

Fortunately, the program doesn’t end there. The program also gives us a structure to make the courage we found works. It’s called Making Courage Work (MCW), the 7 weeks program that I’m in my 2nd week now.

This program really opens up a lot of thing for me. If you are in Singapore (or willing to come to Singapore), please check out the website for more information. Check out the The Courage to Create (TCC) course, that will open up with many other programs for more specific needs of development afterwards.

FYI, I’m not gaining anything from promoting this program. Mmm, maybe a satisfaction that something will change in your life. It’s an indescribable satisfaction; a satisfaction that comes from living beyond our own need and sharing with others. And at the same time, I’d like to thank Diin for introducing this program to me.

Making courage work,
Robert