I had a bit of an epiphany during today’s live session when Bruce described what I used to call my ‘chameleon self’: - you want me to be quiet? I will be quiet for you. You want me to perform? I will perform for you. You want me to tend to your emotions? I will tend to them for you. And underpinning all this… the anxiety. I realized my anxiety is the most extreme when I either can’t figure out what someone wants/expects or I don’t think that I have the skills/capacity to be what I perceive someone wants/expects me to be or do. I could also sense, lurking just underneath the anxiety, a very young feeling, sad, scared and bewildered part of me. Gaining more insight about myself is always helpful so thank you, Bruce.

Hi Everyone, Thanks for the invitation, Bruce. I’m here because I’ve just met Bruce and I’m curious about his work and how he navigates mentorship and facilitation. My people pleasing has largely come from a place of fear and anxiety so I’ve tended to be braced for the worst and very rigid or reactive in my responses. I’m on a journey of loosening up the self-censorship in body and word (done some clowning classes - phew - so challenging and so rewarding!) and I’ve been growing my capacity to weep and grieve (it’s hard but there is so much aliveness on the other side). I’ve had enough tastes of delight, joy and aliveness that I’m thirsty for more and I really resonate with what Bruce calls the ‘heart self’. A few things that I would love to feel more consistently are self-trust, grounded presence and a real tenderness towards myself. Many things feel challenging: advocating for myself, saying "no’’, being intimate or self-disclosing even with close friends (I’m a great listener 😉), stepping into leadership in areas of gift. I long for deeper connections with friends and intimates, and to love myself with kindness and tenderness. I’m looking forward to mentorship on this path from Bruce and to what we all can learn from each other as we stumble and bumble on this journey called life. Kindly, Cat