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Jan
03
2012

My Trip to Georgia: Learning to Adapt and Change in a Strange New Place by Holly Jarrett

Georgia mapThe following article is written by my daughter, Holly. She’s is an amazing young woman who recently spent some time overseas. If you would like to share your own stories of travel and change, I’d love to feature them in my newsletter. Please email me at bev@beverleypugh.com.

My name is Holly and I am 22 years old. Recently I took a year off university in order to travel and experience life in other countries. I didn’t have a career plan yet, and I wanted to expand my horizons. I learned about a volunteer program where you have the opportunity to live in Georgia in Eastern Europe and teach English. They pay your airfare and set you up with a host family. I immediately said “yes”!

So in September I boarded a plane ready to experience 4 months of life on the other side of the world. To say it was an amazing experience is an understatement. It was without a doubt equally the most terrifying and exciting thing I have ever done. I learned very quickly that absolutely everything is different – from the food to the language to the culture. My comfortable Canadian lifestyle was far away. Every day opened the door to new challenges and adventures.

What I realized almost immediately was that if I was going to get the most out of my trip, I needed to be willing to let go of my need for structure and control and learn to be flexible. A great sense of humour and an ability to laugh at myself was essential. Communicating became a combination of Charades, the little bit of Georgian I learned, and the little bit of English my host family learned. It was a challenge to say the least, but we had a lot of fun with it.

When in Georgia I would often joke about ‘Georgian time’ because if I needed to get somewhere it required a lot of flexibility, a lot of time, and often wouldn’t happen despite my best efforts. Public transportation would randomly shut down. Even booking a taxi ahead of time wouldn’t mean anything. After a time I did get comfortable with their way to doing things and I actually found it a little boring to resume my life when I came back to Canada. After all, at home order and routine are a way of life.

I still keep in touch with my host family and remember fondly the strange sights (a lady carrying a sheep in a plastic bag) and sounds (not understanding the conversations around me). Would I ever do something like this again?  Absolutely! It has changed who I am (for the better I think). It has opened my eyes to a different way of life. I am a lot more accepting of the people I meet, and I’ve learned that life is better when you can go with the flow.

Tags: accepting, Bev Pugh, Beverely Pugh, culture, Eastern Europe, flexible, Georgia, Holly Jarrett, let go of control, life experience, travel
Posted in Learning to Adapt | No Comments »

Jan
03
2012

What is your Intention for 2012?

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are headed

Oriental Proverb

Over the holiday season I reflected on your emails and words to me. I focussed on the following requests for help: “I love the tools and words of wisdom, but how do I hold consistency in practicing them? How do I even remember to use them? In my busy life, I keep forgetting and just fall into old habits. Sometimes I’m just too busy or too tired or too discouraged to even try. I mean well, but it’s tough trying on your own. I wonder if change is really possible. I wish you (Bev) lived with me. Marry me!”

While I am complimented, I’m already married and have a family… but, maybe through my monthly writing, I can be of more support and inspiration as you live your lives and focus on being your at your optimum.

When I was younger, I would make New Year’s resolutions. I would commit with complete sincerity. I’d be good for about a week to 2 months and then life would happen. Old habits would slip in. I’d feel disappointed in myself and promise to try harder next year. Sound familiar to anyone?

Today, I do it very differently. Today, I follow this road map: Intention and Attention. What is my Intention for 2012? By this I mean, what would I like to feel? I choose a theme or a way of being — peace, vitality, fun, mindful, generous, connected, empowered, kind. I choose a theme in a word that is important for me in my growth at this time. As the year unfolds, my focus is on feeling what I would like to experience. This is different from having a behavioural goal. If I have a behavioural goal, I am into will and the mind. As I invite myself to feel what’s important to me, I’m in my heart. Now, I’m cooking!

To breath life into my Intention, I bring Attention to the moment. Remember, “what you focus on expands” – one of my favourite expressions. It is very powerful because it works. This year, for me personally, I choose to focus on peace. As I build my muscle of focussing on what is important to me right now, my attention is on inner peace. I invite myself to see it and feel it and bring it to each moment. If I forget, I gently self-correct. If I self-correct from judgement, I get lost in another story. So I self-correct in a loving way.

Intention and Attention. Choose a word theme for this year that holds an important place in your heart. Set your Intention. Then bring Attention to is as life unfolds. Remember… what you focus on expands.

Intention: What would you like to experience this year? What’s important to you at this time?

Attention: Notice where your focus is. Build the muscle of noticing and give attention to your intention.

Tags: 2012, attention, behavioural goal, Bev Pugh, Beverley Pugh, intention, Mastery of Health and Happiness, self growth, theme
Posted in Self Growth | No Comments »

Beverley Pugh

Beverley Pugh

Beverley Pugh has international experience in Individual, Marital and Family Therapist services. Areas of practice include counselling in: individual, couples, family, anxiety, addictions, grief, depression, pain management, multicultural, workplace and others.

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Mastery Practice Tool

Step 1: Play with the following exercise. It can be very powerful.

- If you are a parent, imagine your child.

- If you have an animal, imagine your pet.

- If you love sunsets, imagine the sunset.

- If you love the ocean, trees, Pilates, standing on your head, then imagine this.

Now let the love you feel for it, flow towards it. It’s a great feeling. Just open up your heart and feel the love you have for this special being or person. Take a moment to feel your love for something that opens your heart.

Step 2: Now take that beautiful heart-felt feeling and give it to yourself. Let yourself receive it. That warm feeling of appreciation, of love, let yourself receive it and feel it. It’s your own valentine.

Resistance may come in. Just pause and breathe and stay with the exercise.

Testimonial

Our ability, as parents, to support our children to thrive in stressful situations is becoming more and more important. Children need very specific tools in their self regulation 'tool kits' that they can draw upon to support their success, and trusted adults to coach them in their use. But what are these tools and how to we teach them effectively to our kids?

Thankfully, there is Beverley Pugh! Bev takes a curious and calm approach to supporting children and parents with this journey. She is passionately invested in teaching parents and children ways to reduce anxiety and approach life positively and confidently. Bev is a master of her craft - she draws on years of her own experience as a parent and counsellor to work effectively and respectfully with children and their parents. I have thoroughly enjoyed Bev's recent workshops for parents and children and recommend them to anyone willing to explore specific strategies to help their children thrive at home, at school and in their community.

Lani M. - Parent and Elementary School Principal

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About Beverley

Beverley Pugh has international experience in Individual, Marital and Family Therapist services. Areas of practice include counselling in: individual, couples, family, anxiety, addictions, grief, depression, pain management, multicultural, workplace and others.

Contact

Telephone:
604-925-1513
Email:
bev@beverleypugh.com
Location:
120-1451 Marine Drive
West Vancouver, BC
V7T 1B8
Canada

Disclaimer: The information presented on this site about various psychological conditions, is of a general nature and is not a substitute for an assessment by a competent therapist and/or medical professional. If you believe that you or an important person in your life is in need of an intervention please seek qualified help as soon as possible.

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