“Counseling
from and for the Soul”
“On some
hill of despair the bonfire you kindle can light the great
sky – though it’s true, of course, to make
it burn you have to throw yourself in!”...
Galway Kinnell
I believe that counselors,
consultants and leaders in the sports field, are universal
artists whose canvas is the game and the individual players
are commissioned ideas in progress that
produce the kind of work that allow the counselor’s
soul to touch eternity.
And it is these
ideals that we all can apply to our lives, to our careers,
our relationships and our passions. You are a
piece of work, a work of art. Like counselors,
you too can be a voice of reason, a
beacon of light in darkness, a touch that soothes the
body and the soul—if you will take the time to listen.
You are love that
comforts, enlightens and a strength that supports and
validates. You are energy, ideas, and thoughts
in action. You are blessed, valuable,
and necessary.
In the words of
Henry David Thoreau,
“Good
for the body is the work of the body. And good for the
soul is work of the soul. And good for either is the work
of the other.”
After 40 plus years
living up North, I relocated to the South (back to where
I had dreamed for years I would like to be); thus
leaving relationships and resources I had grown, nurtured,
and enjoyed most of my life. The culture shock
and major challenges I encountered were almost overwhelming.
Striving to overcome the negatives and the grief of separations
– coupled with the
rigors of covert racism and disrespect – left me
feeling mentally vulnerable and physically whipped.
With my spirit broken,
I found myself questioning God at length with the why’s,
when’s and why knot’s. The
answers came after even more questions and fervent prayers
in the spring of the second year of my relocation.
It was through answered prayers that my spirit was illuminated
from deep within, validating and reassuring my soul with
a peace that prompted me to write what I was hearing and
experiencing.
It was through
this therapeutic process that I surrendered and came to
realize that God was still at work in my life.
My spirit was renewed, my foundation for life remembered,
and my creativity reawakened. I
was healed.
Through working
with others, I was able to keep the door of my
soul ajar reminding me of my mission and what I believed
in, despite what I was experiencing
and going through.
As the motivational
consultant for the Carolina Hurricanes, I had to draw
motivation from my “Soul
Source” because the external
environment was projecting and vibrating negation and
limitations. This nonproductive activity was
a blessing in disguise in that each day for the most of
two years I had to dig deeper within.
Acclaimed psychologist
Dr. Shod Helmstetler, author of What to Say when you
Talk to Yourself, says that “all
true motivation (comes from within) the only kind you
can count on is internal motivation.”
As counselors, coaches,
consultants and leaders, we are all players and
skilled artists in the game of life. It is in
practicing our craft and drawing on who we are, what we’ve
been given, and what we believe in, that we are elevated
to excellence, and we impact
the individual mastery of those with whom we work.
I’ve found
that an investment in “AFPWC”
is a tool and practice of positive
thought patterns and mind-set that keeps me open,
free and ready to be of service to the players and my
other clients.
Ms.
Doris E. Barksdale is the Certified Motivational Consultant/ Community
Development Manager for the Carolina Hurricanes Hockey Team. She has counseled
hundreds of clients, including corporate executives, city officials to
NHL & NBA stars over the past fifteen years. She is the author of
the Circles Training Program, a six-week training program that was copyrighted
in 1973 and continues to be updated and utilized.