How Much Coffee is in Your Cup?
By Featured Guest: Kari Romero
I imagine that you have heard the age-old concept of seeing the world like a glass of water. The idea is that you either see it as being half full or half empty indicating whether you are a positive or negative person. It seems to me that this concept is far too simplified to define my overall outlook on life. But this type of generalization regarding our situation is often why we struggle in the first place.
Learning New Tasks
Say I am having difficulty learning a new task. It is so easy for me to throw my hands up in despair declaring to the world or at least whoever is near me, that I am not good at anything. The reality is that my inner judge just loves to let me know that I am not good enough and my frustration is yet another example of my ineptness. My glass is clearly half empty. I fight with my inner judge telling her to lay off already. And yet, I still get frustrated.
Recently, I started learning the art of making coffee as a new barista. It is not nearly as easy as it looks! There are so many things that affect the taste of the coffee: from the way the beans grind to how fast the coffee flows. Each of my attempts at a great cup of coffee came out differently. I got so frustrated, and my inner judge jumped on the opportunity to show me how empty my ‘abilities’ glass was. Then I got frustrated because I was frustrated. Talk about a vicious circle!
New Perspectives
The lady who was training me said gently that the coffee machine was like a dance partner that had a large repertoire of dance moves. She said that before I learned the machine’s signature moves, I had to learn my own dance steps. Just like a couple learning to dance, we were bound to step on each other’s toes and get into tussles over who would lead the dance as we slowly came together into the grace of the movement.
My perspective changed almost immediately as I looked at this situation through a new lens. I decided to stop fighting the process and instead see if I could lean into the learning of my coffee making partner. My glass looked so much fuller after that shift.
The second part of this growing process came with the realization of an amazing opportunity to soften my heart towards myself and that rather noisy judge that lives inside of me. I stepped away from my inner whip and relaxed into the process of learning my new art form.
When you find yourself making broad, negative generalizations, please stop and take a breath. Relax and know that you are so much more than the contents of a glass. You will always be learning. You will be great at some things and not so great at others, and it is all perfect. When your inner judge gets too loud, open your heart to compassion and let her know that she will be okay, just like you will be okay as you dance your way through life’s lessons.
FEATURED AUTHOR: Kari Romero
Kari Romeo is a transformational life coach, motivational speaker, personal transformation and mindset seminar facilitator, and a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty, Coeur d’Alene. Her life and travels have taken her through many careers, including work as an Air Force officer, and management of a retail store, property management office, and a restaurant. She has also served as human resources manager, change agent, and more.
Kari’s passion is helping people let go of personal fears and limiting beliefs to reach their highest potential.
She shares her passion through speaking, writing, and coaching. Her TEDx Coeur d’Alene session introduced listeners to “Teach Your Inner Critic A New Story.” Her book, Becoming Beautiful, A Personal Journey Towards Happiness, explores her path to setting herself free.
She received her strategic life coach training through Robbins Madanes Life Coach Training program; earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Administration and a master’s degree in Human Relations; she is a decorated veteran of three military conflicts and has lived in Europe and Central America for many years.
Kari remains active with growing the TEDx venue in the North Idaho region. She enjoys speaking with groups, organizations, and businesses about using the power of appreciative inquiry to achieve success.
Kari is the founder of Conquer Life Coaching, and you can find on her website at www.conquerlifecoaching.com or through her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/conquerlifecoaching/ and Instagram @karikromeo.