Your Virgin Mobile experience sounds great. What a terrific ethos. I reflect that, when I first began my working life in the HR functions of some tough, Scottish manufacturing operations, I heard the opposite said: “People need to leave themselves at home before they come to work. There’s no place for fluffy stuff here.” It didn’t, however, stop the folks saying it from discussing golf and football!!

Whomever you work for now is lucky to have you and to benefit from the whole person that you are. Good on you for really valuing it, even if they find it difficult.

Your observation that having one persona in the corporate world has benefits of fitting in and winning business. My own view is that the institutionalised world prefers us to be a bit one dimensional. Which, as other commenters have noted, provides a real challenge if you’re awakening to your various other “selves”.

What you say about the coaching and therapy communities is astute. There is some fabulous stuff to learn from both of these bodies that can add richly to one’s work, and indeed to one’s own process and journey. But sometimes, there can be such animosity from one “camp” to the other, which I think is sad.

I’ll be interested to hear how your interview goes tomorrow, and how your ponderings this evening inform how you handle it. In all events, I hope it goes well and that they see as much of Tim as you feel safe to share with them.

What a post… I find the whole not hiring a shrink incident very odd indeed. Perhaps it’s because I know you but I could only see that being a huge advantage in any outcome.

In terms of me, it has really got me thinking and wondering about my next steps. I have learned that cultivating one persona in the corporate world has sometimes got its benefits in that it ‘fits in’ and makes things easier in terms of winning business but also feel at the same time that in some ways I’m selling myself short and don’t particularly like the feeling, it seems that I’m hiding. I have a telephone interview tomorrow and am just doing some prep so it has given me some food for thought on how to present all of me.

In terms of the whole coaching and therapy community, I imagine that there is a lot of animosity, jealousy and complete lack of understanding and a need to put forward credentials in order to justify position and supremacy. It’s a real shame, but I guess that is just par for the course, this might be a sweeping statement but I’m not convinced that Human’s are too welcome to change. Instead of seeing the person they see a need for something else. Of course there are serious issues of professionalism etc that must be upheld but just to get grief from people for having more interests and skills and not being afraid to show them is just dumb along with many other things…

OK so rant over I’m off to think about the impact of this with me.

Enjoy your Sunday Night

These are great examples of people whose diversity was not looked on with the same confusion. So, it strikes me that this need to pigeon hole is a more recent thing.

I don’t know of any NASA engineers with arts degrees, but I equally wouldn’t be surprised. I did, however, also think about Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, who earned his money collecting taxes by day, whilst writing and reciting by night!

You highlight the “jack of all trades” angle on this. It’s a good one to think about. There are many dilettantes around….

I like your words about accepting the many parts of us: “it’s what makes us unique, outstanding and authentic”. Well said, my man!

The point you make about caring what other people think of you is a critical one in all of this. Fear of being judged is a very real fear. My experience is that we are and will be judged for who and what we are. While we’re not wholly being ourselves, we’re probably holding external judgment at bay a little – but the inner critic is having a field day! I read some fabulous words years ago – can’t remember from whom or where now – but they were “what you think of me is your business”. And it’s true. But having the courage to believe it and to make it OK for ourselves is a hallmark challenge on this path.

Glad you took something from the post and take care for now!