Richard Branson once said, “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!” It is, however, a leap of faith, or incredible optimism to commit to doing something you have not yet got the skills for. This confidence to overcome obstacles was the theme of one of the activities I found myself facilitating at the UAE Happiness Journey, a five-day event in the stunning Dubai Design District last week.
To back track a little, the 20 March, 2018 was the International Day of Happiness. Events took place all over the world, but nowhere more so than in the UAE, where a week long schedule of activities was organized. The Happiness Journey was just one of these events. I was asked to take part and introduce the concept of coaching to people, who might never have experienced it before, in a series of fifteen minute coaching sessions, giving each person something to go away with that would help them improve their lives. No mean feat! Normally the initial fifteen minutes of a first session is spent getting to know the client, reassuring them as to the non judgmental and confidential nature of coaching, and making them feel comfortable enough to be open and honest with both their coach and themselves. And this was to take place in public, in full view of passers by.
A large part of coaching success has to do with the confidence the client has in their coach and the relationship that they build together. Over five hours, ten individuals shared the most personal of problems with me, problems were causing them stress or were an obstacle to living their lives fully. Ten people left me, having either reached a greater understanding of the causes of their anxieties or some short-term goals to work with. I left that evening exhausted, but exhilarated from the trust people showed in me, and the smiles they left with.
Another evening I was scheduled to facilitate a group activity in the dark. On completing the training I was suddenly asked to help a different activity, called The Moonshot, which took place around 10 foot up in the air. Why not, I thought, I have never done this before. The underlying theme behind The Moonshot was humankind’s ability to problem solve – to reach for the moon with ideas and visions that they did not yet know how to fulfill. Sitting suspended from a frame, I could see the Burj Khalifa in the background, a moonshot idea if ever I saw one. I am sure there were moments when the engineers wondered whether they would ever solve the problems they faced in building the world’s tallest building on sand. But they did it. What amazed me about this activity was the positivity and wonder that people expressed about the ‘can do’ attitude of Dubai. That here, anything is possible. This optimism felt almost contagious and again, I left the event at the end of six hours, both physically tired but amazingly uplifted.
Working in happiness is one of the best jobs in the world!
