'Dialogues Unfolded'

I have always loved listening to others. Since I can remember I have been curious about people's inner worlds—what their dreams are, what shapes their thoughts, what inspires them, what triggers their anger, how they cope with sadness, what brings them joy. Other peoples' perspectives and the insights they can offer me have always been valuable to me. And I have often been a person that my friends turned to when they needed support, a shoulder to cry on, or simply somebody who could just be there for them when they needed a talk or feel happy for them when they shared their adventures. It was only natural to me that I offered space for them and gave them my full attention. In return, I myself felt enriched, a tiny bit wiser, and better prepared for my own life challenges. Luckily, my life path led me to find a profession that helps people learn how to better listen to themselves so that they can make better decisions and live a more fulfilling life. As a professional coac...

We constantly form judgements about people. When meeting somebody anew there might be a sense of good chemistry among us so that we can immediately connect. Or we might feel reserved towards them, for no good reason. A kind of gut feeling is telling us, beware. This is human and not easy to avoid. Judgments are helpful when we need to quickly assess a certain situation: “Am I safe/welcome here? Do I want to invest my energy in this project/community? Can I trust this person or not ...?” And of course, they might just as well be misleading, formed on the basis of our experience that has nothing to do with the person we have just met. I remember my friend telling me that she could not trust a man with a beard. Needless to say, she proved herself wrong in many cases and yet, she caught herself in mistrust every time she met a man with a beard. After some introspection she realised that men with a beard reminded her of her math teacher who made her feel miserable in the fifth grade, by...