Tag Archive for: Walk

Walk and Talk

As we approach our last missionary transfer, I reckon that Monic and I are now approaching some 3,000 coaching interviews – each!
From the outset, we chose to invest a lot of time (15 to 30 minutes) per interview, as a catalyst to enable change with each of our missionaries.
We started off sitting for all of our interviews, but as time has passed we now both enjoy the occasional walking interview too!
Pacing ourselves in our walking is a joy and it can slow down the conversation.
It got me thinking about the process of our interviews…
Our journey together always begins in a similar manner.
We smile, greet one another, say hello and settle in.
Then, the conversations go something like this.
I speak and ask a simple question.
The missionary listens.
The missionary speaks.
I listen.
I speak and carefully, ask more questions.
The missionary listens.
The missionary speaks.
I listen.
I try hard, very, very hard not to interrupt.
I am curious and interested as to what the missionary thinks.
There usually always comes a point when they ask me a question.
I push the missionary hard to see how far they can go in their own thinking, before I offer any of my own thoughts.
Like any great coaching conversation, the process is all about helping the missionary to become more self-aware.
Frequently I find that I reinforce their strengths and help each missionary to explore their challenges.
And the walking?
Well, it simply helps to stretch our legs and our minds!
Changing the environment can also really help us change how we look at things.
Fresh air can really awaken all of our senses and aid both our thinking and every conversation.
“Walking is man’s best medicine.” - Hippocrates
Little wonder then, that the most frequent question we are asked at interviews is “Are we going for a walk today?”
When will you next venture outside for a coaching conversation?

Sister’s Shoes

Missionaries constantly come and go.

From every nation around the world, thousands of Elders and Sisters are called to serve.

We arrived in June 2021, during covid times, when there were few new arrivals.

Then, there were only 3 sister missionaries, Eleanor Goodall, Samantha Greenhalgh and Savannah Clark, in the mission.

Post covid, times have changed and there are now many more serving.

Scriptures

This week, I was reminded of a scripture from the New Testament.

“For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” (1 Peter 2:21).

Many are called to follow His steps, to become like Jesus Christ and “to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6).

The calls don’t occur, simply by chance or coincidence.

They happen by divine intervention, validated with the Lord’s signature.

They are personal.

In amongst last week’s arrivals, there was a familiar name and face.

Like her older sister Savannah, Madison had been called to serve in the Belgium Netherlands Mission.

A new beginning

On Friday, we had our first interview together in Amsterdam.

As we spoke, I recalled the many interviews I’d had with Savannah and our countless sweet memories.

Now, in that moment, living in the present, Madison and I started to write our new memories together.

Memories are timeless treasures of the heart.

In that moment, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for her presence in the mission, knowing that the call to serve here, in this mission, at this time, had been divinely designed for her.

Shoes

I’ll never forget Savannah’s big black boots.

Having big shoes to fill, may present a challenge for some and for others it may be an opportunity.

Not everyone gets to start off in the footsteps of their older sister.

Madison, armed with her sisters’ knowledge and experience, won’t be walking in big black boots; she’ll be adding her unique personal touch by forging a new path in her very own shoes (sandals!).

I hope we all choose to follow the example of Jesus Christ and follow in His footsteps.

It’ll be worth every step we take.

Walk and Talk

Never before have we lived so close to a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In Scotland, it is a 4 ½ hour drive to the temple in Chorley, Lancashire.

Today, we live only a short distance away in Leidschendam, a 20-minute drive from the temple in Zoetermeer.

Temples are different from the thousands of Church meetinghouses located around the world.

Meetinghouses are where Sunday worship services, youth gatherings, service projects, and other community events take place.

Temples have a more specific purpose.

They are places specially set apart for sacred service and ceremonies.

They are the House of The Lord.

The House of the Lord is the most sacred place of worship in the world — a place where heaven touches the earth, a place where marvellous blessings are bestowed, and a place where we can feel closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as we strive to become more like Them.

Temple Grounds

In recent weeks the temple grounds have become a favourite place to walk and talk.

The grounds are a place of beauty, serenity, and reverence.

The grounds attract many local visitors.

They have become a sanctuary to rest, to contemplate and to consider the deeper purpose and meaning of life.

The grounds have also become for me, a place to listen to, meet with, talk with, read with, laugh with, study with, walk with, pray with, reflect with, ponder with and counsel with our missionaries.

Learning

As we walk and talk, we learn together as our thoughts are elevated heavenward.

In my professional coaching career, I have also found that breakthroughs occur in our thinking more easily when surrounded by nature, open space, and a tranquil environment.

Walking and talking just make good sense!

My wife and I take time to walk and talk every day.

We take in the surroundings and breathe in fresh air. By so doing, we are using all our senses to be in the present and soak up the natural world.

“The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose.”- Charles Dickens

Imagine for a moment your favourite walking spot.

How does it make you feel when you walk there?