The first day of construction of the Berlin Wall began August 13, 1961 and lasted 28 years. Viewed by some as negatively shameful and viewed by others as positively necessary to keep out the enemy or prevent a war, this wall structure became known as one of the greatest symbols of freedom. Although the construction and destruction of the Berlin Wall was a larger group effort, individually each of us creates this same experience internally without realizing it. We create walls and structures to support us to achieve; we create walls and structures to hide things within; we even create walls and structures to protect us from pain both socially and privately. In the realm of coaching and its forward-action approach, I bring the Berlin Wall metaphor and ask a few questions.
Look at one of your internal obstacles or walls that seem to block you from where you want to be in your career, relationship, leadership or managing your stress. Don’t try to fix it, but rather just observe and be curious as to what shows up. Take some notes if it helps.
- What do you notice?
- Does it seem like a structure that hinders or facilitates you?
- Can you notice a connection between this obstacle and your thoughts or actions? If so, how does it show up?
- What might be the message for you in your observation of your wall?
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