Islands of humantiy

It is such a simple and well known, common question… three small words only… and yet it covers everything.

While writing this, it comes to my mind, that maybe these three little words point to a hidden layer of meaning, that -amongst others- makes me fond of my business name 3Consult.
Being truly interested in how the other person is doing, is at the core of all my activities. It is a prerequisite!
Didn’t I sometimes define Biography Work as ‘professionalized humanness?’

When you are sincerely interested in the path of the other, in his experiences underway, in where this person is travelling towards to in terms of goals, strivings, ideals and where he or she is arrived at this moment in time, then you create a little island of humanity.

And this feels as a nice wording of my ‘core business’:

• in individual Biography Work: I create small and temporary islands, where the individual can experience being seen and heard, being witnessed; and
• in education and training: I contribute to peoples competences and skills for being a true witness and companion on other peoples lifepath.
• in OD-work and teambuilding: I facilitate situations for people in which they can adress their agenda in a fruitful way.

Fair enough, sometimes we give an answer to this “how are you?” that might be just as routineous as the question was put: “I am fine thank you, and you…?”

But if time allows and we really embrace this question and respond to it accordingly in an authentic, true way, then it opens up this very special space of trust and love we all know from biography work. Thus we create an “island of humanity” in which both partners sharing can truly be; that is: manifest, rest, recharge and grow.

Let’s enter!

I am happy to share, and gladly receive your response someday, if you feel like… josien@3Consult.nl

For some friends I hope the story below serves as a delayed answer to your sign of interest, send to me throughout all 2020 up till now. I apologize; I simply couldn’t respond earlier, caught as I was in the inevitable changes Corona created all around the world and in every single life as well.

However different the effects may be or have been for you and your life and no matter how you label them, the reality is that the world has changed irreversibly and that we share the task to get to terms with these changes. And with this comes existential uncertainty, the not knowing, feeling useless, anxiety and stress… or worse….
Let me call all this “threshold-dynamics” and that is not a comfortable place to be. I had a hard time.

January 11^th 2020, -together with Rinke and Paula- I returned from China, after a beautiful module on Triptychon with the Chengdu-group. Within the BPBC (basic practice biographical coaching) Triptychon is the gate to graduation, so with these students we were already focusing and pointing our engagement, both energy and will towards May 2020 when the Finals would happen.

Moreover, prior to the Triptychon Module, Rinke and I had had the honor and pleasure to work for four days with 40 Chinese students of Biography from all the different groups, exploring the possibility to approach biographical questions with the help of I Ching, the Chinese ancient source of wisdom about Life and Living. The eldest book on Biography ever.

So full of intense experiences and truly satisfied with what had happened, we returned to Amsterdam, using the ten hours flight as a first breathing out and digestion time. This pilot workshop had been a confirming experience and a follow up was already planned for May. And then:

January 12^th Wuhan was locked down.

I felt relieved, as if we were “home before the thunderstorm bursts out”; totally ignorant about what was to come and how wet we would be shortly…

Corona revealed her devastating power in the first months of 2020. Step by step it became clear that postponing turned into cancellation. I nearly drowned in desperation, felt “cancelled” myself. Unable to do what I know I am good at. Forced to do what I cannot and don’t want… stumbling from plan B to the next alternative solution. And with the growing certainty that there wasn’t going to be any escape.

What do you do when destiny knocks on your door?

Not all that long ago, this had been the title of a pretty successful and at the time highly appreciated workshop. So in fact I was prepared, one would think. But still…

It really doesn’t matter how much you know about the big laws of life, how many lectures you have heard or given about destiny and biography. When destiny marches in, you’re right in it and you can’t do anything but live it.

Corona forced the entrance and came to tell me that it was time to reset the beacons. And she didn’t allow me much time. It was choose it, or loose it; this is the moment.

So: ….  What exactly was my situation?

           What did I really want?

           Which values were at stake?

           How do I envision my situation regarding
           worklife and living in a year from now?

           What do I need to make that happen and
           what could be the first step in that direction?

How many times had I been working with other people in times of crisis and confusion, facing this list of confronting questions?

Now it was my turn, so -to the best of my ability and with very good homeworksupport- I did my job.

Part of the result is that I can now present you this website!

I hope and trust that you like it and that it will serve our connection in the future.

Looking forward to your response,

Till soon!

Warmly, 

Josien