Have you been feeling the autumn chill of falling temperatures?
If you’re like me, maybe you’ve turned up the heater, are wearing layers, drinking tea and choosing to stay indoors more often than not.
I did all of this until I remembered, I have a choice:
- I can protect myself from the cold externally – by adding on layers, turning up the heat and refusing to go outside – or…
- I can spark my inner flame – go for a run, do some jumping jacks or any movements that heat up my body – so I can be proactive about heating from within.
Not trying to give you a lesson on navigating cold temperatures in Finland, rather, I think this is a perfect metaphor for possibility.
Are we looking within or without?
Sometimes we forget about our inner spark or flame – the power we have over ourselves independent of changing external conditions. We fall into a reality with choices based solely on ‘protecting ourselves from the cold around us.’
But you see, how we perceive the cold has everything to do with how we’ll react to it. (Wim Hof, anyone?)
In the case of learning Finnish, going at it cold/without a warm-up is a constant battle: dealing with ‘stuff’ that’s thrown at you, new vocab, complex grammar, people switching you over to English, more more more!
Your energy is spent on shrinking less, instead of expanding.
Realizing we have access to an inner fire, a warm-up, is a game-changer.
When we look within…
I’ve had the pleasure (/honour) of witnessing people realize their inner abilities and run with it. Here are a few examples of the unique ways this approach can have an impact:
A client of mine decided there was nothing to lose by opening up to possibility and signed up for FTNE. She went from 5 years of paralyzing resistance against learning Finnish to having so much fun, she was spending an hour a day on it (within 9 weeks)! Game-changer.
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Another said: “The problem is, I have no opportunities to speak Finnish.” The following week, he reported: “The possibilities are literally everywhere!” Game-changer.
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Another began to see how the sticky spots around speaking Finnish and living in Finland were interconnected to other aspects of her life. Now her attitude towards Finnish is lighter and feels less overwhelming. Game-changer.
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Another has spent years in and out of Finnish courses with yo-yoing motivation, only to realize a limiting belief has been the source of his self-sabotage. Now he’s committed and showing up consistently as those words have taken on new meanings. Game-changer.
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Another went from growing up monolingual to intuitively feeling there had to be a better way than how Finnish was taught in school. During FTNE, she realized (in the full sense of the word) she’s no different from her bi- or trilingual friends in terms of core capacity. Now she has a map to confirm her intuition as she learns Finnish and Spanish. Game-changer.
The view from the other side: possibility
Game-changing realizations can be big or small. Yet it’s not for anyone else to judge their impact on our lives. Every step towards realizing our own power is worth celebrating as an opportunity to be a little more of ourselves.
Regardless of the excuses or very valid reasons we may have keeping us from learning, when we align with what.is.possible, we change the game. Because so.much.more.is.possible!
I may have great reasons to stay indoors when it’s cold, but if I remember I can turn on my inner spark, everything looks different…
Suddenly, seemingly unrelated things are reflections of each other…
Suddenly, I have more time than I thought, and my timing is impecable…
Suddenly, my doubts seem irrelevant…
Suddenly, what I thought I knew was true shifts a little (or a lot)…
Suddenly, who I thought I was or needed to be is no longer so…
…and the result is a whole new playground of possibility, which you’re free to roam and explore.
That’s the benefit of seeing Finnish through new eyes, and it’s available to you.
Ready to breakthrough your Finnish ceiling?
If so, check out the my cornerstone program: Finnish Through New Eyes!
Registration for our Fall 2019 group is open until Friday, October 11th, and (as you probably know by now) it’s a guaranteed game-changer. For details and sign up, click here.
From my spark to yours 🍂🔥,
xx Irina
