I Am Not a Mistake!
The Points of You® (POY) training I attended last week took me on an incredible journey toward the potential within me. So much so that by the end of the second day, I didn’t even have the energy left to describe my state of mind, and I kept saying I felt like a “squeezed lemon”…
For years, POY® Academy has used coaching and development tools around the world that draw on psychology and phototherapy and were refined over many years of work. I have followed these tools since 2021, and the latest workshop I attended was a turning point for me. Two people played a big part in how I came to feel this way: POY® Türkiye leader Yeliz Çetinkaya, with her command of the subject and her pinpoint reflections, and Nurşen Agathe Batkin, founder of Plus Three, a big-hearted person and a great supporter of mine when I first entered the coaching profession.
So what happened that made this workshop touch my life? Let me tell you right away... Those of you who have been through coaching sessions know: without a topic there is no coaching, and finding that “topic” can be a struggle in itself. As I ran from activity to activity asking myself whether I should become an authentic leader, whether I should express myself better, what the dream version of me has that I don’t have right now, the topic kept circling back to discovering the “Potential Me” that already exists in me and helps me understand myself better. While I wondered throughout the workshop whether there were instructions missing, it didn’t take me long to realize that being “rule-free” is itself a rule at POY®. It was hard even for someone like me who is used to abstract thinking, I must admit…
So what is the “Potential Me”? It’s the kind of thing where, the moment you think about it, memories, situations and words on the subject flash before your eyes like a film reel. In every injustice I have lived through, in every experience that made me feel worthless, I have a side that is different from the self I know: a side that protects me in ways I’m not used to, a fighting, rebellious, stubborn side. Contrary to popular belief, I’m only human, and I don’t always do the right thing either.. It’s the same with children; psychologists shout from the rooftops that a well-behaved child is not normal. It is a child’s nature, which is to say human nature, to strive to protect their authenticity, curiosity and freedom of movement. The unfortunate situations or unjust environments they come across are a test for everyone and a struggle for those who choose to be themselves. Otherwise, we all end up as “well-behaved” children who have adapted.
By the end of this workshop, I wanted to share with everyone that I was not the mistake in the unfortunate situations I have lived through. I even designed a training on this subject, a gift from the workshop. I plan to announce it separately in the coming months. I’ve put it at the top of this year’s wish list.
Have you ever been in environments where you couldn’t voice what was troubling you, where you weren’t accepted? Do your feelings sit inside you like a burden? If you’d like to share and feel lighter, please write to me…
Would you like to talk about this topic as part of your own development journey?
AUTHOR
Azer Karabıyık
Career Transition Coach PCC, ACPC, ORSC
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