Reclaim Your Power: An Introduction to Restoring Choice
DESCRIPTION
Many of us are less practised at three things than we realise: making requests, saying no when it isn't a full yes, and hearing no without something getting damaged.
Imagine asking for something without rehearsing it first. Or saying no, and the relationship being fine afterwards.
These aren't personality traits. They're capacities - and capacities can be built.
A lot of what shows up as anxiety, resentment or exhaustion has a simple root: deep down we don't feel able to care for ourselves in our own relationships.
This free 60-minute session introduces a practice called Restoring Choice. It's a direct focus on our ability to take care of our own needs, which is something most of us were quietly trained out of.
We'll cover:
The five capacities that make up the practice
Why our first instinct is often the most negative story available, and how to change that
The difference between what we say out loud and what runs underneath - and why the second one matters more
Where growth actually happens: the uncomfortable edge between "easy" and "impossible"
You'll leave with something you can use the same day.
What this isn't. This isn't a workshop you attend just to feel good. It's an introduction to a practice you'd do - daily, in writing, on your own life. If that appeals to you, this might be just the practice you've been looking for.
Afterwards I'll send you two short free guides: One on finding a practice buddy, and one on talking to the people you live with about the changes they might notice. They're written for the practice group, though they stand on their own - and they're yours either way.
SESSION TIMES
- 2:30 am - 3:30 am
Online (6:30pm AEST)
Tue 18 Aug Thu 20 Aug Tue 25 Aug Thu 27 Aug Tue 1 Sep Thu 3 Sep
- 11:30 pm - 1:00 am
In person, near Castlemaine
Sat 22 Aug Sat 29 Aug Sat 5 Sep (The Saturday sessions run 90 minutes to allow time for a cuppa afterwards, for anyone who'd like to stay.)
PRACTICAL
Online sessions are held via Zoom. The access link is emailed the day before - please check your junk folder if it hasn't arrived.
A note on recording. I record the online sessions purely so I can review my own facilitation and improve it. Nobody else sees them, and they're not shared or published. If you'd rather not appear on camera, turn it off any time. If you'd rather not be recorded at all, say so at the start and I'll stop the recording - no explanation needed.
In-person sessions are held on a property about 5 minutes from Castlemaine. The exact address and directions are emailed the day before, along with parking details. If numbers require a larger space we'll move to a venue in town - you'll be told well in advance. Saturday sessions aren't recorded.
In-person sessions are alcohol and drug free. The material is deep and confronting, and it needs everyone's full attention.
Want to read ahead? The source material is Miki Kashtan's Restoring Choice Using NVC learning packet, available on a gift-economy basis - pay what works for you, including zero: https://thefearlessheart.org/item/restoring-choice-using-nvc-packet - entirely optional before the session.
Who it's for. No prior experience needed. You don't need to have heard of any of this.
Same session each time - come to whichever suits. Once is enough.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
A four-week practice group runs Tuesdays 15, 22, 29 September and 6 October, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, online.
What's involved:
One session a week, up to 1.5 hours (depending on needs)
Hopefully one (or more) written entries a day about a real situation from your own life, using a structured form.
A practice buddy - optional, highly recommended.
The written entries are the actual work. The sessions support them.
Details will be sent in a follow up email to participants.
Sign up by Friday 11 September.
WHERE THIS IS HEADING, SO YOU KNOW UPFRONT
I'm interested in how a community of people living or working together could be sustainable over decades - where people enjoy being there, conflict is low, and the conflict that does arise gets handled in ways people value. I think the capacities in this practice are what makes that possible, and I'm testing whether it works.
This session leads to the four-week practice group above, and later this year to a three-week residency at my property for a small number of people. Nobody is expected to go further than they want to - most people will come to one session, and that's a complete thing in itself.
IS THIS SESSION A GOOD FIT FOR ME?
- Do I need any experience?
No prior experience needed. You don't need to have heard of any of this.
- Is this therapy or counselling?
No. It's an introduction to a practice - a set of capacities you build through repetition, the way you'd build any other skill. It isn't treatment, and Glenn isn't a therapist. If what you need right now is therapy, this isn't a substitute for it.
- Will it be confronting?
Possibly, and in a specific way.
Many people find that when they look honestly at how well they ask for things, decline things, or hear a no, the answer is less flattering than they expected. That can sting.It's worth knowing that this is common and it isn't a verdict on you. These capacities were trained out of most of us by ordinary circumstances, and they can be trained back. But it does help to arrive able to be reasonably kind to yourself while looking at something unflattering.
- What if I'm going through a hard time right now?
You're welcome, and only you can judge this.
What's worth weighing: this session involves looking honestly at your own patterns, and it's a group setting rather than one-to-one, so the support available is limited. If you're currently in acute distress, or in the thick of something painful, this might not be the right moment - not because you're not welcome, but because you'd likely get more from it later, with more support around you.
Nothing here asks you to share anything about yourself. You can come, listen, and decide.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
