I don't have a guru and I am not a guru
So I’ve been reading lots and lots of things (blogs, books, articles), in particular regarding wellness and goal-setting and making new behaviours… I love that people are talking about this stuff and trying to share and teach. However, I am also very uncomfortable that so many people who are talking about this stuff are kinda preachy. Like they have never made a “bad” decision, or even wanted to sometimes…
If you’re looking for someone who is like the therapists or counsellors that they show on tv… , you may be highly disappointed if you meet with me. Or one of the people that has a self-help book and all the answers to life. That’s not me, either. I don’t even really want to try to be like that, or pretend to be like that.
I feel like at the moment I’m making the whole working mom/wife with chronic illness, choosing everyday habits to build wellness thing, work for me. However, I don’t have all of the answers all of the time, even for my own life. I wish. (sometimes-but that could be really boring and predictable.) I do have lots of questions all of the time. I like helping others ask themselves and their loved ones important questions so that I can understand what their life is like and together find strategies that are helpful to build habits or communication in ways that work for them and their goals. However, I am not a guru. I don’t have a guru. I don’t want a guru. You can have a guru- as long as it is not me!
So I’m good at asking questions.
That's it. That’s what I do. That’s my job. I am naturally curious. I like stories. I am good at breaking things down into steps and organizing them. All of these things could help you to look at whatever is happening for you, a bit differently, and find a new angle or a tweak. Maybe. But you’re doing the looking and finding and trying. I’m just there asking questions and listening. It could even get annoying. And that's okay.
So if you are looking for someone to talk through things, ask some questions, review some strategies then I could be a good counsellor for you. If you are looking for someone with the answers and who will tell you what to do next, I’m probably not the right one for you. The only people I tell to do stuff are my kids, my husband, and my dad's dog. That's how I'm keeping it. (Btw, the one that "listens" the best is my dad's dog and he still pees on the floor regularly.) I don't spend time with very obedient folks, and that is cool with me.
- Stacey