Dooley Noted: 5/11/2015
Last weekend, I had the honor of teaching NeuroKinetic Therapy (NKT) in Germany.
I’ve been chosen as an international instructor, but I admit now to being nervous about Germany.
On the flight, I was plagued with thoughts like these:
“What if they don’t understand me well?”
“What if my humor or descriptions don’t resonate?”
The host and seminar instructor, Tobias Kehlenbach, assured me that everyone could speak English.
Out of his kindness and care, he decided to translate the PowerPoint into German – in his free time.
As I was wowed by Tobi, I was equally wowed by the assistant instructors. Most of them were bilingual, going back and forth from English to German.
In fact, every single student and instructor at the seminar was bilingual – except for me.
Now THAT was culture shock.
As I instructed on each seminar section, we as a class laughed, learned, and got motivated. They were nice enough to accommodate me by conversing in English as often as possible.
I was so impressed by the class members, who asked brilliant questions and gave their full attention.
And the course wasn’t even in their native language!
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive for the course. Our NKT teaching team may have helped these students, but they helped me realize something bigger.
I need to not just learn how to communicate clearly in my own language. I need to learn more languages in which to communicate!
The only language barrier I encountered this weekend was my own.
I have plenty of time during morning cardio to study language.
I spend three hours a day in transit that I could be studying language.
I spend countless hours on airplanes, during which I could be studying language.
The excuses must stop.
Just as our students this weekend were learning NKT vernacular, I need to learn how to communicate all things in more languages.
I can spend every day for the rest of my life learning more language.
This way, I have fewer barriers in my life that I created for myself.
You can blame your surroundings for not understanding you.
Or you can take proactive steps toward being understood by more people.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
