Do you have the pleasure of living yet?

"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth." -Mark Twain

Doesn't it sound ideal? Do you think it's possible? Would you like it to be? This is where a life coach tells you ( and I am also a life coach) to be more child like in your approach. Be inspired by the freedom that children have. Act "as if"

Acting with a sense of fun and freedom when you don't feel that can be deeply awkward and uncomfortable and that whole act "as if" stuff doesn't always work. As a coach I gave this advice. I watched it not work. I watch clients do it, feel awkward and uncomfortable and then stop. It didn't improve their self confidence and love of life.

In fact what I realised was that for some people, who have a reasonable level of confidence acting "as if" does work. Your starting point with techniques is relevant. This is why coaching works so well for some and not others. This isn't about being right or wrong. This is actually about equality.

"Equality is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. It is also the belief that no one should have poorer life chances because of the way they were born, where they come from, what they believe, or whether they have a disability." Humanrights.com

This is what pushed me from being an NLP practitioner and life coach to training as a CBT therapist. It is all well and good having a goal to ask your boss for a pay rise (a simple example to explain) but if you are unable to book a meeting to do so then you can't achieve the goal which can prove (again) a negative personal belief.

By better understanding why you are currently unable to book that meeting, the thoughts, feelings and reactions that are preventing it and creating a negative cycle then an individual can work free of it. Through self awareness, which can grow over time, anything behaviour patterns can be changed which creates equality for the individual. Then goal setting becomes an effective tool for moving things forward.

Acting childlike, having freedom and fun isn't just for other people it can be for you too.