Happy Easter Monday everyone!
Here are some reflections over the previous few weeks of what’s been on my mind.
What I LEARNED
I am fortunate to be currently undertaking a Professional Qualification in Executive Coaching at Henley Business School, where one of the key disciplines we are taught is the art of active listening.
If you are like me, you might be thinking that you are already a good listener, so what is there to learn? Well, it turns out there is much to discover! What I have come to realize about myself is that, although I believed I was a proficient listener, my natural inclination is to attempt to assist the person I am conversing with by resolving their problems, particularly in my role as a leader/manager. However, in coaching, we are explicitly taught not to follow this approach! It took me some time to grasp this concept, as it seems intuitive that the coachee seeks solutions to their challenges, or at the very least, guidance on a path forward.
The essence of coaching lies in empowering the coachee to unlock their own potential. This is achieved through attentive listening and posing insightful questions that facilitate the individual in discovering their own solutions. The profound realization that they possessed the answers within themselves all along can be incredibly empowering, often leading them to take action based on their self-discovered solutions rather than those provided by others.
However, effective coaching is not solely about active listening; it also encompasses the power of silence.
In addition to learning about the potency of listening, I have also come to understand the significance of silence. The capacity to create a space and simply allow both parties to dwell in silence, engrossed in their own contemplations, can be just as impactful, if not more so, than verbal communication.
What I LOVED
I have a genuine thirst for learning. Whenever I have some downtime or a task to complete at home, which I can do independently, I tend to listen to a podcast. This allows me to learn something new while also accomplishing my tasks.
What I particularly enjoy is receiving recommendations from people for good podcasts to listen to. One recommendation I received recently really got me thinking while I was out on a walk last week.
The podcast featured Joe Dispenza, a scientist, lecturer, and author. I was told that I would either love him or hate him, so I approached listening to him with an open mind.
I can understand why the person who recommended the podcast said this, as although he came across as slightly arrogant, I personally found his messages very powerful. In fact, they resonated with me so much that I had to keep stopping to write them down. Therefore, I wanted to share them with you today:
- Thoughts are the language of the brain. Feelings are the language of the body.
- How you think and feel creates a state of being. A state of being is when the mind and body are working together.
- You can’t create a new future while building on the emotions of the past.
- Feeling uncomfortable is a result of leaving familiar habits. The mind can’t predict the future; it would rather hold onto the past and the guilt.
What I LIKED
My son has recently started attending the local leisure centre to stay fit for Rugby, Football and prepare for his upcoming Cricket season. While waiting for him and a friend last week, I noticed that there were some squash courts. Although I haven’t played squash in a long time, I used to enjoy it when I was younger.
So, instead of waiting for my son’s hour-long gym session while drinking coffee, I decided to get some exercise myself, and dive back into life on the squash court.
I reached out to other dads whose sons were at the gym and managed to find myself a squash partner.
What I enjoyed was getting back on the court and running around like a madman, trying to hit that tiny dark green dot against a wall. What I forgot is that I’m no longer a nimble teenager who can make every shot in the corner!
Needless to say, I was walking like a robot for at least three days afterward, using muscles and joints that I haven’t accessed or pushed in that way for a while.
Have I gone back since? You betcha 😉
Final thought
As we bask in the Easter weekend and soak up the sunshine that’s finally starting to appear , I couldn’t help but reminisce about sunny days from my youth. In the spirit of spreading warmth and joy, I wanted to share a track that evokes those carefree moments and infuses a bit of sunshine into your life, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.
Have a great week all!
If you would like to read the latest Monday Morning Musings then subscribe here:
- Backing Yourself, Finding Your People & Giving It a Go – Monday 23rd March 2026.
- From Disney to drinking and the moments that matter – Monday 26th Jan 2026.
- Stories, Suppers, and the Small Joys of Learning – From 8th Dec 2025.
- Small Experiments, Big Reminders- From 8th Sept 2025.
- Adapting to AI, Moments that Matter & Living with Lions – From 23rd June 2025.
Monday Morning Musings 
Leave a comment