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Emotional Health

It Took Me Ten Years!

Fiona Pimentel January 13, 2021 In Career, Confidence, Emotional Health, Life Coaching, Love yourself, Stop procrastinating No comments

Courage

It Took Me Ten Years to set out on my path.

If you are like me you are a procrastinator and lacking in confidence. There are certain things that you know are important. If you ever made the time to do them, they would have such an impact on your life. But somehow, you never have that time to get started.

That is how it has been for me with Life and Relationship Coaching. I knew if I wanted to be a life coach I would need to experience it for myself. I did my certification ten years ago, but life got in the way. From a job that took up all my time, to three bereavements, a house clearance and a refurbishment, I just never had a moment to even think about it. Until now.

When we hit rock bottom, we no longer have a choice – we have to do something about it. The pandemic ensured that my finances certainly hit rock bottom. So I enrolled in an online coaching group and within ONE day my life had started changing. I chose Career as the category I would work with, so I agreed to undertake some small daily activities. It takes me less than ten minutes a day to do them, but I can already see such a difference in both my competence and my confidence.

The great thing is that when we improve one area of our life, our enthusiasm catches on in other areas too, so that we become unstoppable. So although I chose to concentrate on my career, my exercise has increased, my social life has improved and did I mention my confidence?

What I love about coaching is that you can watch someone’s mindset changing, so that at the end of an hour’s session, they have grown as a person and so has the coach.

If you are interested in learning more about my 1:1 coaching please see Orchard Coaching & Retreats. You can book a free session here.

Or you can email me at seaorchardretreat@gmail.com.

Don’t wait ten years! Let’s take your life to a whole new level!

2020 Was a Great Year!

Fiona Pimentel November 18, 2020 In Beautiful location, Bereavement, Emotional Health No comments

I may be unusual in this, but I feel that 2020 was a great year for me. Many posts start with “What a weird year 2020 has been!” My “weird year” started back in May 2019 when my sister died, after a few years of illness. Then 5 weeks later, on my wedding anniversary, my mother died. It sounds terrible, but we had a strong sense that it had all gone to a well organized plan.

The next 12 months saw me flying back and forth from the Cayman Islands to the UK, to clear out the house where my parents had lived for over 50 years, to get ready for the sale. The flying admittedly took its toll on my sleep pattern, but the process of sorting their belongings was in itself a comforting one, as I rediscovered photos, paintings, books and scraps of dress-making material that brought back childhood memories.

2020 certainly gave us more than our fair share of craziness in Cayman.

On the 24th of January, our local dump caught on fire, and we could smell it from our house 5 miles away.

Only four days later, we had an earthquake that shook the entire island. Luckily there was hardly any damage as the quake was out to sea, but we all felt our houses moving for over a minute.

In March the dump caught fire again, and this time the thick black smoke meant that you couldn’t see where you were going for several days if driving in the vicinity.

On the 20th March, the last flight came in from the UK carrying our three children who study in the UK. We entered a two week quarantine period which turned into three months because our entire island went into lockdown.

During those three months, we were only allowed out to go for a walk every evening. Other than that we were together 24/7. We not just survived but thrived by playing games and taking it in turns to cook meals from locations pulled out of a hat. The children were understandably frustrated about not being with their friends, but for me it was lovely to have them home for so long.

Finally at the end of August, I flew back to the UK with them, and they all went to place of study. I spent one month collecting more treasures from my parents’ house. Since my sister and mother were both artists and keen photographers, I spent the second month drilling holes in my walls to put up their photos and art work. This last month was a healing time, as wherever I walked in my house, I could look into my relatives’ eyes and silently communicate with them. I felt closer to them than I had ever been during their lifetimes.

Back in Cayman I had a two week quarantine with my husband at Sea Orchard. I was so grateful we were in such a beautiful location and not at a hotel, where we wouldn’t have been allowed to leave the bedroom. We both worked or studied all day, but were able to have all our meals together and in the evenings we played Scrabble, Draughts and Hangman as well as watched a good deal of Netflix. Again it was a positive time, and it was like a lovely vacation rather than something to get through.

We are very fortunate in that we can only think of a very few of people we know who have caught Covid-19.  We don’t know anyone who has died from it. I am particularly grateful to have had well attended funerals for my mother and sister before the pandemic started, as well as for my father 2 years earlier. All three occasions were incredibly joyful celebrations of their lives.

The most obvious way in which the pandemic affected me directly was financially. My bank account went from 6 figures to less than $300. As a result I did an online course that has changed my mindset about money. And mindset is so important.

Somehow we managed to find time to get a new puppy, and training her has also been a stressful but positive experience.  I would call it a “Rite of Passage” that everyone should go through.

There is less than a month and a half left of 2020. Instead of wishing it away, I am grateful for what I have learned and what I have received, and I look forward to the coming year and all it will bring to me, and all I will bring to it.

If you are interested in learning more about 1:1 or 1:2 coaching please see Orchard Coaching & Retreats.

You can book a free session here. 

Or you can email Fiona at seaorchardretreat@gmail.com.

Teach Others How you Want to be Treated

Fiona Pimentel June 11, 2018 In Bullying, Communication, Confidence, Dealing with difficult people, Emotional Health, Love yourself, Marriage issues No comments

If you want to be happy teach others how you want to be treated. If you are in some kind of unhealthy relationship, whatever form that takes, the only thing that you can do, other than leave, is to take responsibility for your part in it and work on yourself.

 

I’m not saying it is your fault if someone is mistreating you, but to a certain extent you have perhaps unwittingly allowed it. This is good news because it means you have the power to change it. Here is a personal example to demonstrate what I mean.

 

When I was 8-9, I was at a nice private prep school in the South of England, where I was punched and kicked daily. Because I had been taught to “turn the other cheek,” I consciously resisted reacting and so it continued to happen. It was only when one of my attackers took me by surprise from behind one morning, that my involuntary reaction took over and I punched him in the face. He ran off crying like a toddler and from then on I was never hit again. So in a sense, through my lack of reaction, I had been allowing them to bully me.

 

In a similar way, if you are being mistreated either at home or at work, the only person who can do anything about it is you. It’s no good complaining, “my boss/partner/mother never listens to me.” You need to learn to communicate assertively so that you can express your opinions and feelings openly. If you show that you believe in yourself, people will start to listen to you.

 

If you are being spoken down to by someone as if you are stupid and inferior, it more than likely has much more to do with an insecurity issue they have than anything to do with you.

I remember many years ago that I left a job where my boss had been treating me like dirt for a few months. The day I was to leave she explained that she had been extremely upset because her boyfriend was being unfaithful. It may not be as dramatic as that, but there is usually some other explanation for someone’s behaviour towards you if it seems excessive. If this person is your boss as in my case, you may choose to be patient until you find another job where you are treated with respect. In the meantime, you can certainly work on respecting others, and on respecting yourself, and you should start to notice a difference in how you are being treated.

 

No matter how much you work on your confidence and assertiveness, you can never change another person’s personality, but you may be able to limit the time you spend with them, or limit the conversation to the level that you feel comfortable with. Instead, surround yourself with people who do appreciate you and treat you well. Bear in mind that most people are well meaning and not against you. Also try to remember that people are going through different experiences, some of which may cause them suffering.

 

Ultimately if someone is treating you badly it is because they feel bad about themselves. It is not your job to rescue them or change them, but you can consciously be kind and loving to them, while at the same time taking care to be kind and loving to yourself.

If you are interested in learning more about 1:1 or 1:2 coaching please see Orchard Coaching & Retreats.

You can book a free session here. 

Or you can email Fiona at seaorchardretreat@gmail.com.

The Double-Edged Sword of Narcissistic-Borderline Relationships

Fiona Pimentel June 6, 2018 In Emotional Health, Marriage issues No comments

I have been reading a lot about Narcissism and Borderline Personality Disorder recently. The articles about Narcissism usually talk about ego-maniac men who deliberately seduce innocent women with Borderline Personality Disorder. In these cases, the BPD victim has no boundaries, so she loves too much and is unable to get away from the man who is manipulating her. Very often these relationships involve an element of adultery and the forbidden fruit is what intensifies the thrill of the chase.

Of course, it can also happen the other way around with the woman being the narcissistic seductress and the man being the victim. Unfortunately, the male writers in the Bible lay the blame for adultery firmly on the woman’s shoulders, as if it is always she who seduces the poor defenceless man. Proverbs 5 vs 3 states, “Know that the lips of the adulteress drip honey and her words are smoother than oil.” We see in cultures where adultery is punished severely that it is usually the woman who takes most of the consequences, often paying with her life.

However, I don’t think it’s ever that simple that one person seduces another while the “seducee” has no choice in the matter. The reality is that both the man and the woman are responsible for setting up the relationship, and it may be that both have certain characteristics of both disorders.

Experts are developing their theories all the time. From my work as a relationship coach and from personal observation, I suspect there may be a possibility that the balance of power can alternate in some couples in different situations. After all, they attract each other, they both hold onto each other and the relationship for whatever positive feelings they are getting out of it.

People use the term narcissistic far too loosely. Certainly when I work with couple where one is claiming the other is narcissistic, I don’t agree or disagree. And I can very often see narcissistic tendencies in both of them.

By definition, these relationships are doomed from the start and ultimately become toxic for both. The narcissist feels swamped, so longing for freedom goes out hunting for other prey, while the BPD addict is constantly frustrated, insecure and heartbroken.

If we turn to Proverbs again we see that this text written in the 4th century BC contains wisdom for the modern day as the next line contains the warning: “But the outcome is as bitter as wormwood. It is sharp like a double-edged sword.” Proverbs 5 vs 4.

If you are in any kind of toxic relationship you will need to take responsibility for your part in it and either get out of it or work on your healing through counseling, coaching, prayer, personal journaling, reading and retreats.

If you are interested in learning more about 1:1 or 1:2 coaching please see Orchard Coaching & Retreats.

You can book a free session here. 

Or you can email Fiona at seaorchardretreat@gmail.com.

 

Love is Forgiveness

Fiona Pimentel April 13, 2018 In Cayman Islands, Christian retreat, Emotional Health No comments

I believe that Love is Forgiveness. The more I think about it, the more I consider that Love and Forgiveness are one and the same thing and the words can be used interchangeably. In the same way that you can say God is Love, you could equally say God is Forgiveness.

 

Preachers often discuss these words in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those that sin against us.” They explain it as meaning that God will only forgive us to the extent that we forgive others. If God is Forgiveness, then that reasoning is fundamentally flawed. God is incapable of withholding Forgiveness. Instead, I understand it to mean that we are programmed to be able to receive and accept forgiveness only when we also forgive those who sin against us.

 

If Forgiveness is Love, then that means that we could replace those words with: “Love us (who have sinned against you) as we love those who have sinned against us.” This makes complete sense of Jesus’ words that we should do good (forgive/love) those who persecute us and forgive seventy times seven times. When we do this, then we will be able to receive God’s love.

 

The commandment to “love one another as I have loved you” could similarly read “forgive one another as I have forgiven you” and “love your neighbor as yourself” is the same as saying “forgive your neighbour as you forgive yourself.”

Forgiveness brings healing. I wonder how many people would be healed from their illnesses if we all practiced forgiveness and love of self and others all the time.

 

Lets all forgive each other. Instead of saying “I love you” to people, maybe we could sometimes try using the phrase “I forgive you,” (where it applies). It would take on such a powerful and meaningful significance and perhaps transform relationships.

 

I can just hear it in my head now – the new song by The Beatles “All you need is Forgiveness”.

If you are interested in learning more about 1:1 or 1:2 coaching please see Orchard Coaching & Retreats.

You can book a free session here. 

Or you can email Fiona at seaorchardretreat@gmail.com.

Loneliness in Marriage

Fiona Pimentel February 19, 2018 In Emotional Health, Loneliness, Marriage issues No comments

Loneliness in Marriage is a terrible thing.

Mother Teresa said that loneliness is the worst kind of poverty, and it is mostly prevalent in the Western world. Psychotherapist and writer, Pam Fullerton, goes as far as to say, “The truth is, that feeling of loneliness is one of the utmost challenging experiences that any of us endures.”

We often think of loneliness affecting those who are single because when they go home at night they are usually alone. But someone doesn’t need to be alone to feel lonely.

Generally, we don’t think very much about loneliness within marriage, but it is in fact very common. Because the perceived expectation is that as married people we will be happy and feel fulfilled in our relationships, people tend to keep quiet and suffer in silence.

There is a sense of shame associated with being unhappy in a marriage, so the situation can drag on without relief for years or even decades, leading to desperation and even suicidal thoughts. Loneliness in marriage is the number one reason for looking for comfort outside the marriage, such as affairs, whether physical or emotional.

According to Guy Winch PhD, author of Emotional First Aid loneliness is a silent killer as dangerous as smoking. It takes a toll on our immune system, puts us at risk from high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, as well as the more obvious depression and anxiety. It also affects memory function and can lead to Alzheimer’s.

It works as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Loneliness makes us see our relationships in a negative light, so we believe people don’t care about us. This makes us hold back in our relating with them, which in turn makes us appear cold and aloof, thus pushing people further away from us.

When we feel disconnected in marriage, we often stay together in order to avoid being alone, but the disconnectedness makes us feel helpless, so that we are unlikely to do anything about it. It’s a vicious circle that sends us into a downwards spiral and the result is we end up feeling lonelier than if we had left.

Thankfully there are several things we can do. If you are affected by loneliness in marriage you can try the following:

  1. Practice working on your own emotional health. This could take many forms including taking up a hobby, exercising, using affirmations, pampering yourself or setting yourself challenges to build your confidence. You might find it helpful to spend time in nature or write your feelings down in a journal.
  1. Show an interest in your partner by engaging them in meaningful conversation about things that fascinate them.
  1. Do things together. These could be very simple such as walking or going out or even watching TV, or you could discover a new activity together. As long as you are doing it together it doesn’t matter what it is.
  1. Try to understand your partner by finding out how they feel about situations. Ask them questions and really listen to their answers.

Talking to a counsellor together may also be helpful in reconnecting as they will listen to both sides and help you see the positive in each other. They can help you to unravel the causes of the disconnect, which may be a surprise to one or both of you. Unlike friends, the counsellor is unbiased and not emotionally involved in your relationship, as well as having training and experience, so you can trust their professional wisdom.

If you are interested in learning more about 1:1 or 1:2 coaching please see Orchard Coaching & Retreats.

You can book a free session here. 

Or you can email Fiona at seaorchardretreat@gmail.com.

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