Katherine:
“Unfortunately, this is like the hard work I do when taking on an assignment at my college. It’s the old adage of asking for someone who is overworked to take on a new project since you know they can get things done. So, another item on my list has to do once again with my children. When I was thinking of setting aside Wednesday evening for work at the kitchen table, I also began to think about other evenings to set aside time for a shared activity. I immediately came up with the love that my kids and I have for old movies—especially Film Noir flicks like those of Humphrey Bogart and the screwball comedies of the 1930s. I have suggested that we set aside Friday evenings for what we can identify as our “Noir and Screwball Affair.” My oldest kid loves to prepare pizza, and my youngest child is an expert on cooking popcorn. Not very healthy food, but great for bringing the three of us to Friday night movies while dining on pizza and popcorn. {Both Katherine and Sonya smile and clap their hands.]”
Sonya:
“What a great idea!! I might try something similar with my own kids.”
Katherine:
“Great to know that you are also open to advice. And I would charge you for this advice . . . So, these are some of the items on my list. The main thing is that I am trying to make my own job more gratifying and less stressful. And I am trying to find a richer way of being with my two children, especially as they grow older and will soon be leaving home or at least devote most of their time to relationships outside the home. All of this has to do with experiencing some moments in which I am being helpful to other people, while also finding my own area of competence and fulfillment. You have been of great value in this regard. . . Thank you.”
Katherine and Sonya hug. Katherine searches for a tissue and dabs the tears that have welled up in her eyes. She leaves Sonya’s office with her diary in hand, looking forward to enacting the formidable list she has prepared. Lingering in her head and heart is the warning not to take on too many tasks from the list at the same time. If she overburdens herself then she will be back with Sonya wanting to plan for a new job or new family!! Katherine chuckles to herself, delighting in her own increased self-awareness.
Krishnamurti and Beyond: Reality, Experiencing, Self-Other and Relationships
Sonya, our hypothetical personal coach, had learned many important lessons from her mentor, Jiddu Krishnamurti. She applied some of what she learned in her work with Katherine. While Krishnamurti was not in the business of personal coaching, he did spend a considerable amount of his adult life in the United States and was addressing the American population in his writing – such as Commentaries on Living (Krishnamurti, 1956).
I would also suggest that his Eastern-oriented perspectives have also been aligned with many perspectives and findings coming from American psychologists, sociologists, philosophers and theologians—as well as thought leaders in other 20th Century and 21st Century societies. I conclude this essay by offering relevant quotes from Krishnamurti’s Commentaries, as well as complementary thoughts and findings offered by others who come from Western traditions.
