Having a partner in crime, I mean a partner to co-parent with helps when troubleshooting challenging situations. It means we share the burden of figuring out how to navigate tricky circumstances, which adds some relief.
It also means we can work together to ideate solutions. We each bring our own strengths and unique perspectives to the table, which results in better outcomes.
I remember one instance in particular where we were faced with a challenging predicament. After a bad experience in the first preschool we sent our kiddo to, she declared she hated school. And she refused to go to a new preschool.
Seeing as how she had, at least, 15 more years of school this was troublesome.
I lamented to my husband about it while we were walking through Steamboat Springs for a long weekend getaway. "I help clients rewrite patterns with triggers like this all the time. But they're adults and I can have a rational conversation with them. I engage them in actively rewriting the pattern. She's three and that's not possible. I don't know what to do."
To which my husband responded, "If the problem is the word school, why don't we call it something else?"
It was genius.
So that's what we did. We told all our friends and family that we were calling it Sun Garden, which was the name of her new classroom. And we told our daughter that it was a magical place with a rainbow bridge.
She started going to the Sun Garden without being triggered. Eventually, she started calling it school and we followed her lead.
Fast forward over six years later and she's a stellar student who loves school and enjoys learning. Mission accomplished!
When we are faced with challenges or opportunities that require creativity, there's a great benefit to working together. This is why I enjoy facilitating retreats and group coaching programs where people are courageously stepping into unknown terrain in the hopes of a better future. It's also why I love writing books with a community of co-creators.
The possibilities are endless when we engage in co-creating conversations with other people who share a commitment to our cause and mission.
I am beyond excited to host the first of many co-creating conversations about my next book, Keepin' it REAL in the Age of AI, in the next few weeks. The first event is a virtual workshop on February 28th, followed by an in-person workshop on March 7th at Founded in FoCo.
If you want to elevate our individual and collective humanity while embracing technological advancements, please join us.