That sucks - what now?

Yesterday, I held my first online workshop on "How to Make Friends with Ease," and let me tell you, everything that could go wrong, did. And it was fantastic.

One thing I love about being a facilitator is how it brings my patterns to the forefront, allowing me to learn to embrace all my quirks and habits. Hiding them makes no sense because authenticity is key, and everyone can see my patterns, whether I like them or not.

Yesterday, my perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies were on full display. I wanted my participants to have a flawless experience, which surfaced because I was nervous—teaching online for the first time after a year of in-person workshops. I found out mid-session that my platform didn’t support breakout rooms, so I switched platforms on the fly, upgraded plans, which didn't work, all while guiding a group on staying calm in stressful situations. Isn't it ironic?

Once, a participant asked me how to get rid of annoying, seemingly "negative" patterns. My answer was, what if you just learned to live with them? Welcome them so fully that you no longer fight them but integrate and accept them.

When we stop fighting our patterns and simply accept them, we find inner peace. Yesterday, I embraced my old patterns of insecurity, perfectionism, and people-pleasing more deeply. I shared what was happening within me, and my participants reassured me that the technical issues were only stressful to me—they weren't bothered at all.

Authentic relating is a powerful tool, and this won’t be my last online workshop. I love creating spaces of acceptance, connection, and slowing down to truly meet each other. These spaces make it worth recognizing, accepting, and sharing my own patterns.

Have you ever tried authentic relating? Would you like to join an online workshop? 💖