Aboodi Shabi has been working as an Executive Coach for the past 20 years. With nearly 2000 twitter followers, he is a respected voice in the coaching community and mentors coaches as well as working with high level leaders in top corporate companies. With credentials like this, you wouldn’t necessarily expect Aboodi to face doubts about what he does so what is his take on Imposter Syndrome and does it ever impact his life?

Imposter Syndrome might affect you in different ways. Not feeling up to a task or role is one of those ways and internal work can help overcome these ideas but is there also an external factor to imposter syndrome? How do the power structures in society influence the way we might think of ourselves?

Remembering that you’re not the only one experiencing this and reframing what you’re going through as a learning opportunity can help. If we find ourselves having thoughts or ideas that are preventing us from being our truest selves, how can we come back to who we are and find our presence again?

When Aboodi practices boxing with his trainer, the focus is on his feet rather than his hands. Grounding ourselves is more important than ever when we live in this fast paced world that demands us to react quickly. What is the difference between reacting and responding and how can being more responsive help us?

Aboodi’s advice to his younger self would be to not take it so seriously, try more stuff and make more mistakes. Making time for your inner self and making space for you is Aboodi’s parting message. How can you make space for you today?

Take a listen to find out more and join the conversation in our online community where we explore what means the most to us and practice ideas to bring about positive change. 

Find out more about Aboodi at www.aboodishabi.com

If you'd like to chat about how coaching will unblock something in your life that feels stuck, e-mail me at [email protected]

There's no doubt that my decision to leave my corporate job was the biggest step that I've ever taken in pursuit of being who I truly want to be in the world. But my path of discovering cultural laws that were limiting me and re-defining how I choose to live my life didn't end there. What challenges have I faced and how did I overcome them?

Right now, I'm facing another life decision that feels almost as big as when I quit my last job. Given everything that I've learned along the way, how am I leaning into this decision and does it feel different now?

Every Monday, I post a video in our online community that had a really profound impact on my life. What message did the video give me and how did it change the course of this episode during the recording?

In summary of this mini-series about cultural laws, noticing where your energy wants to go is the core message. So where does your energy want to go right now?

Take a listen to find out more and join the conversation in our online community where we explore what means the most to us and practice ideas to bring about positive change. 

If you'd like to chat about how coaching will unblock something in your life that feels stuck, e-mail me at [email protected]

Growing up in South Africa, Gina Hayden experienced a set of cultural laws that most of us find hard to imagine. Television was banned by the government until she was ten years old and access to learning courses was restricted. What are Gina’s reflections on that time and how did her early experiences impact who she has become today?

Sensing into a feeling of rebellion, Gina knew that she didn’t want to live by sets of rules and obligations that she had not created. Freedom and entrepreneurial creativity are two of her key values but how did she go about bringing those to life?

Loosening the tethers of conditioning that she grew up with is what Gina attributes many aspects of her life to now. Looking at a bigger picture of what is true and what is untrue has supported her to create new ways of being for herself. How does she balance these ideas in her day-to-day life?

Through a difficult time that involved a toxic relationship ending 10 weeks after her daughter was born, Gina reflects on the breakthroughs that she made following that period of breakdown. ‘The more we trust, the more held we become’ but that doesn’t mean that life is plain sailing. Incredible insights can arise from the darkest of places so what were Gina’s most important breakthroughs? 

Gina reflects on a saying that she was taught ‘We are mostly made up of empty spaces with a few stories attached’. By recognising what those stories are, we are can detach from what isn’t true and create new paths for ourselves. 

Do you want to find a new path up the mountain? Join our online community to share experiences and ponder new ways of being. 

If you’d like a copy of Gina’s book about becoming a conscious leader, you can check it out here.

If you'd like to chat about how insights coaching will unblock something in your life that feels stuck, e-mail me at [email protected]

In a very real part of my quest to be who I truly want to be in the world, I've decided to take a three week break from releasing a podcast episode and I've recorded a ten minute mini-episode explaining why. 

It's not just because its August that I've decided to take a short break. I'm working on a new passion project to support gender equality in schools, which I'd like to give some undivided attention to before the new school year starts. I'm also facing some new challenges of my own and considering whether to move abroad for a year. This time of uncertainty and new challenges feels a bit scary but if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that I'm not the only going through choppy waters in a quest to be who I truly want to be in the world.

Take a listen to find out more and join the conversation in our online community where we explore what means the most to us and practice ideas to bring about positive change. 

We'll be back on Tuesday 4th September with a really great interview with Gina Hayden in the third of four episodes about cultural laws.

If you'd like to chat about how coaching will unblock something in your life that feels stuck, e-mail me at [email protected]

Carlos grew up with a simple philosophy in life of following his nose. Academically successful, he could have pursued a number of different professions but his instinct told him that his soul would have died if he followed a career just for the money. What work did Carlos end up doing and why did he prioritise building a company that suited his lifestyle over one that made the most profits?

Once we achieve a certain level of material success, we are often left pondering the question ‘what’s next?’ Beyond comfort and wealth, the things we value get harder to measure and achieve. What beliefs can Carlos see that hold us back from pursuing the values that mean the most to us?

Carlos and his business partner moved on to start a new organisation. The driving force of the business was their own need to do things differently. What cultural laws have enabled Carlos to continue following his nose and create a life he’s passionate about?

Challenging ideas that have been impacting how you have lived your life can feel heavy. Carlos lightens this load by stepping into having fun. How can I make new friends? How can I seek out new experiences? How can I tap into how playful I was as a child and what will this sense of fun bring to my life?

If our sole purpose in life is to enjoy this moment right now, all the time we spend reflecting on what happened in the past or worrying about might happen next week is dreadfully wasted time. How does Carlos stay focussed on this moment? What techniques does he use to flood his mind with sensations that leave no space for wasteful thoughts?

Two of the most powerful ideas that Carlos talked about were giving ourselves permission to feel our feelings and stepping away from the temptation of comparing ourselves to others. What would support you right now to begin feeling your feelings without guilt or judgement? What would your life look like if you couldn’t compare yourself to anyone else and instead you followed your nose?

Join the conversation in our online community where we explore what means the most to us and practice ideas to bring about positive change.

If you'd like to chat about how coaching will unblock something in your life that feels stuck, e-mail me at [email protected]

Check out summer camp in Sussex, UK this September.

Click here to add your e-mail address to our list and receive an e-mail when each new episode is live.

In the next mini-series, I’m chatting to three inspiring people who have had a moment of realisation that they haven’t chosen the cultural laws that they are living by. What made them realise that cultural laws were defining their lives and what did they do about it?

A natural born entrepreneur, Joris’ life was moving at 100mph with business, income and success a high priority in his life. But then the moment came when he became aware he was running on someone else’s script. He was busy being the next Richard Branson until he realised that Richard Branson was already taken and it was more important to be him. How did it feel to notice that a cultural law you were living by was not even designed by you?

As someone for whom investment and financial gains were important, making decisions based on where my energy wants to be instead of what will bring me the greatest financial return is a big turnaround. What challenges did Joris face during this time?

To bring about change, you need to experience pain in the current system as well as having a vision of ‘what could be’. Being with the pain of something that feels wrong lights a fire of motivation within Joris but he understands that being with pain or hurt is not something that today’s society permits. How has he recognised the value of being with pain and how does he use that experience to his benefit?

Joris recognises that the more he is able to cry, the harder he is able to laugh. Where he used to cook with only salt and pepper, he now has a far greater range of spices and flavours in life. Now that life’s highs are higher and the lows are also lower, would he trade anything back about how things used to be? 

If you feel like there are some cultural laws in your life that you would like to change, as you go about your work and life over the next few days, try asking yourself is this really true? Be an observer of that question and see what pains or new ideas emerge for you. 

Join the conversation in our online community

Post I'm exploring what's true for me in our online community space and let me know where in the world you are listening from.

If you'd like to chat about how coaching will unblock something in your life that feels stuck, e-mail me at [email protected]

Click here to add your e-mail address to our list and receive an e-mail when each new episode is live.

After a haphazard time in my twenties, I got a job with Flight Centre UK. It felt like this was something that I could probably do for about 2 years and then figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. I hadn’t realised then just how much growth, success and opportunity Flight Centre would offer me. Eight years later, I realised that I was in the wrong place and there was something else for me to do in life. What practices of self-reflection was I using at that and how did they support me during that time?

When something in your life triggers you and you just can’t let it go, maybe it’s a conversation or a seemingly offhand comment that someone throws into the mix, there is normally a really juicy lesson in there for you to reflect on. What have been some of the lessons that I’ve learned from these external encounters?

Learning to integrate everything that life throws your way has brought about some really cool experiences. When someone in my co-working space was being really inconsiderate by talking with a booming voice on the phone, I was able to use the experience as a live lesson in consciousness. How did I turn this frustration into a positive to defuse how I was feeling?

Society often tells us that it is wrong to slow down. So much about how we live life nowadays is about going faster, doing more, putting more in to get more out. Reflecting on my interviews with Alex Kjerulf (Episode 3) and Laurence Shorter (Episode 5) has given me a greater confidence in my practice of slowing down and doing nothing. How has a practice of doing nothing impacted my life?

Thoughts about not being good enough or failing in a project that means a lot to you are thoughts that everyone has. Not only that but you can’t switch these thoughts off because they are part of what make us human. How have I learned to be with these thoughts and use them to drive me forward?

Accepting all of who I am has not been an easy process and it’s fair to say that I still hate on myself some days. All of the practices that I’ve integrated into my life have made a huge difference but in closing this episode, my overwhelming feeling was in the message that all of who I am, is exactly how it’s supposed to be.

Click here to add your e-mail address to our list and receive an e-mail when each new episode is live.

Because life (and recording) doesn't always go to plan.

Cecile began her career as an Engineer, became a Management Consultant for a big firm and then started her own consultancy with a co-founding partner. Cecile describes how it was her body that eventually told her it was time to make a big life change. How did she navigate the fact that her mind was very much part of the ‘rat race’ but her body was telling her to stop doing work that didn’t resonate with who she is?

Cecile began learning from ancient teachings that date back 35,000 years. What relevance do these teachings have for life today?

Cecile kept her studies and new practice secret until such a time that she dared to let this part of who she is be seen in the world. What triggers have helped her discover who she is and find the courage to reveal her true self?

The two big lessons that Cecile refers to from the ancient teachings are recognising and removing the self-limiting beliefs we have of ourselves and realising that we are not an accident on this planet. We are here for a reason and understanding what that reason is, is part of Cecile’s on going work. What challenges has she faced while integrating these lessons?

Removing drama from her life, wasting less energy on negative patterns and streamlining her life to be in flow are all benefits that Cecile now experiences. Is she living life the way her younger self would have designed it?

As a leadership consultant, Elizabeth understands that in business, winning over hearts and minds is equally, if not more important than winning based on intellectual debate. When this work led her to the principles of human insights, it felt like the rug had been pulled from beneath her feet. What was it that knocked her off balance and how did she find solid ground again?

Her personal practice has led Elizabeth to a life that feels more free and trusting with less judgement of herself as well as others. What challenges did she face learning this practice and how did she overcome them to reach a version of herself that her younger self is proud of?

Elizabeth went through a period of depression when she was younger and challenging her belief system helped her through that time. Reaching a place where she no longer fights against low moods or frustrations has clearly been a big achievement for her and she has let go of the idea of being a perfect version of herself. How did she bring awareness to the fact that her thoughts were part of a belief system of her own creation? What was it like to realise that things you believed were true, were only true because you made them so?

Elizabeth’s believes that how we are as children, is the closest to our trues selves that we can be. As children we are in flow, free to express everything that we are, without intellectual reason or constraint. What does she do nowadays to switch off her own intellectual reasoning and come back to neutral where she finds space to be?

Become a supporter, advocate or champion and support me to continue curating, recording, editing and publishing this podcast. Thank you so much for your pledge.

Click here to add your e-mail address to our list and receive an e-mail when each new episode is live.