“I was absolutely thrilled to be at the Coaching&Cava event 6, during a festive, celebratory atmosphere leading up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Time for nice plans and resolutions!”
Gosh…… time does fly and Coaching&Cava, an event organised by Hannah (it was her idea to call the event Coaching&Cava), Ola (very experienced in working in events) and James (co-founder of Bayswater Education, the first social enterprise in International Education in London) where it is possible to meet like- minded people in the world of education and have a chance to hear inspirational talks around the topics of Networking (to build a network to connect with others) Confidence (talks by speakers can be insightful and provide inspiration and motivation), Support ( take part in a peer to peer session in a safe space where it is possible to share and explore any goals and concerns related to them) and… last but not least, a nice glass of Cava poured by James. I had the pleasure of talking about Support back in December 2018 at a time where it was possible to enjoy face to face events.
To give you some personal background, English is my passion, which I started to learn it at a very young age. The festive period takes me back in time to when I remember watching Mary Poppins 3 years in a row at Christmas while at middle school (“scuola media”, when I was 10 to 13).
(Thinking back I thought it was a fantastic way to start off the visualisation of my future goal, remembering those breathtaking views of the city).
I had the pleasure of seeing “Mary Poppins Returns” back then (again when there was no co-vid). I also remember myself being very inclined to self-analysis, always fascinated in asking the fundamental questions of life., wondering whether there is an underlying meaning to life, or a purpose, whether happiness is key to it. How can we best be happy? I particularly enjoyed browsing through books about self-discovery, or books where there were stories of men at sea and the sea was a metaphor of life and journey within (when studying English literature). Coleridge, Conrad – Joyce The concept of stream of consciousness is fascinating. Joyce is a genius!
Feeling grateful for a wonderful memory with my friend Paolo (who is also supporting me developing this website). Another journey back in time with an uplifting touch for both of us. It warms my heart and moves me to remember about it. Feels even more special and humbling in these unprecedented times we are living! We felt both inspired. “
Look inside the balloon
And if you hear a tune
There’s no where to go but up
Choose the secret we know
Before life makes us grow
There’s nowhere to go but up
(Songwriters: Marc Shaiman / Scott Wittman
© Walt Disney Music Company)
I literally felt stuck in a rut and down in the dumps, frustrated as until I took my best resources, made the brave decision to change school and that is when I came across an incredibly supportive English Teacher. Does this resonate with any of you? Does it ring a bell? I hope so.
His speech on the first day of school stayed with me. He had just started so I felt very lucky for how I had crossed paths with him. He came across not only as somebody demonstrating an impressive depth of knowledge of the subject, but also always praising and somebody demonstrating an impressive depth of knowledge of the subject, but also always praising and encouraging. A fantastic role model and a forward- thinking individual. A real supportive mentor. I understand how it feels and I am committed to support you in your journey of transformation.
Three years ago I qualified to be a Neurolanguage Coach®. The concept is very innovative and pioneering. It was funded by Rachel Paling and embeds elements of coaching in the language learning process. With the Neuroscience part I could rediscover chemistry, managing to put all the pieces of my life together eventually.
As human beings we benefit from a sense of connection, meaningfulness and satisfaction, we are geared to achieve or we otherwise feel lack of meaningfulness in life. Research from Berkeley – California has shown that happiness is not necessarily money and constant pleasure, but mostly meaningful relationships (refer to the article here ) In an experiment where people were asked to give up their money for charity, some pleasure centres fired. Put link to experiment In Neuroscience, Support calms down our “primitive fear centre” always looking out for threats. It triggers instead serotonin and positive chemicals that allow us to interact in a safe environment where we are less worried, more creative and able to achieve peak performance in life, be the best version of ourselves. We are happier achievers and more successful people if we support and receive support, also. Loving kindness is also a practice in mindfulness. This explains the interaction between me and my teacher I also feel very supportive myself.
A few years ago I in fact took a personality test, DISC quote “S” :
“Charisma, warmth, and fun loving personality. I possess a natural disposition for people and possess a casual kind of poise in most social situations. Many people will come to them because Advisors are seen as encouragers and instinctive communicators. They can be demonstrative, trusting others and showing clear emotions”. How do I support? Especially our back is very vulnerable as it is harder to control danger. So, I tend to reassure, in total respect of all personalities and cultural personal space, with a supportive hug that can have a calming effect. In addition to that, some nice words like “Well done!”, so the person feels valued, seen and celebrated.
Full version of the post blog here
Coaching and Cava official Facebook page
I feel grateful that my client Jake attended and supported me for the event.
His testimonial :
“Aside from being a very approachable, happy and positive person, Paola really listened to what I wanted to achieve at the start of our lessons and crafted a course that allowed me to realise my linguistic dreams. I managed to take my Italian to the next level in an environment that both challenged me but in which I felt comfortable too. The sessions were always shaped around subjects that I was interested in which kept me engaged even after a long day at work!
I wish her all the best! A really top language trainer and coach who I would recommend to. anyone”.
Paola Francesi 