How To Cross the Street Alive

On a Skype this week with an AT Teacher*, he told me a wonderful story.

It was about a student – call her Marie – who was also a long-time friend. Of course Marie knew about his AT work, but she had never been much interested.

Then one day, out of the blue, Marie called…

“Look, I don’t want to learn Alexander Technique…”

(rather puzzling he thought)

“… but can you help me cross the street?”

It confirms a growing belief I have about our future – most people don’t care.

Fitness, yes. Eating well, yes. And that is mostly about looking good - getting healthy is the bonus. My sister once wisely commented:

“Whenever your middle-aged husband starts going to the gym, get suspicious. He’s probably chasing his secretary at the office.”

What is the real reason a person does something?

One golden rule is this: it won’t be what they tell you.

Sometimes, they don’t even know. It wasn’t till my father died that I fully realized how my drive to be a teacher of Alexander's discovery was actually a drive to win my father’s love. How odd it was when he died – all motivation to teach died with him.

I had re-invent my Self, and my reasons for doing what I do.

As teachers and marketers (which are two sides of communicating in ATSuccess) it’s our job to see beyond the superficial reasons, dig deeper: find a source of real motivation within people. Unless you tap into that, no-one is going to come and remain with you. You won’t find people willing to spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars just to get “better co-ordination”

Marie wanted to cross the street alive.

She was a smart, well-educated University administrator in a high profile job, but she had slowly developed a phobia around crossing the street. It was paralysing her life, jeopardizing her job and cutting away at the self-confident identity which had served her well for many years.

For the next four days, they practised crossing the street.

He did all the AT things you do in a lesson, he taught all the AT things you teach in a lesson, AND she listened; she practised like the best student he ever had. Why?

Because she was totally absorbed in how to cross the street.

This is a lesson that every AT teacher needs to take to heart – your students are mostly not nerds like you. They are not fascinated with all the technical detail and philosophical concepts that so inspire you. They mainly just want to cross the street. Or play their horn. Or win bingo without a sore back.

For reasons even deeper than they can say…

Your job is to tap into that interest. At ATSuccess we call it a niche activity: it must be something that people want to do. A positive. Too many teachers go looking for people with back pain. Um, when was the last time you spend a joyful afternoon with a community of people in pain?

Silly.

What will they do when the back pain is gone? What’s the positive?

THAT’s what you must find out, and THAT’s what you must help them do.

I joked with my friend: “Hey, maybe you're the phobia fixer? Overcome your phobia so you can get back to what you love doing.”

It’s an idea. It’s the only idea. Find out what people love: what they deeply, passionately want to do, then become the person who can show them how.

It’s a simple formula at the core of ATSuccess. Step 1: what is your passion? What is theirs? Match those, then you are on your way…

UK and London locals can join this kind of passionate community at my two workshops in London this February. Read more and book here.

*The identity of those involved has been disguised, however the story is happened
Credit to PIXABAY for image.