Cameroon – Focusing in Action

Our weekly follow up zoom sessions with front line community workers in Cameroon have been going on for three years now, ever since they completed a custom-designed Community Wellness Focusing training with Pat Omidian.  

Because the original participants have trained their colleagues and invited them to join these sessions, the weekly meetings have turned into an ongoing Focusing training for people with a wide variety of Focusing experience from no previous experience to active, practicing community wellness Focusers. (See our article about how we do follow up to support participants as they put their Community Wellness Focusing training into practice.

I recently asked participants to write a few words as to how these follow up sessions have helped them.

Y:  I listened to someone this week in a different way than before and, for the first time, she was able to freely open up. She felt like she could tell me everything because I let her know I could feel her pain.

A: I practiced the “pause” yesterday and it was amazing.  I held myself back from a tense atmosphere which might have caused an argument.

Today’s session was wonderful.  Practicing listening today was just awesome.  I felt love.  I will be coming back next week with a lot of experience to share with the group, for sure.

C (a first-time attendee): When Charlotte spoke about finding peace with trees, I remembered how some years ago, whenever I wanted to find inner peace/ quietness, I always went to the stream.  Watching the water flowing always led me to pause.  Or I would go to the beach and watch the waves as they go up and down.  It is relaxing and calms the mind.

M (an experienced Focuser from the original group):  Focusing has not only brought life to me, but also made my work light.  

In relation to me: 

• I am currently dealing with lots of cases, and sometimes it weighs on me.  I just pause to find myself, listen to me, and then get back out there.
• In the midst of difficulties, especially when I don’t know what direction to take, I just maintain silence, listen, and find my path from within.
• I have learned to listen not only to me, but to others.  Sometimes when I really wish to speak with someone and they are not available, I just find my calm place and sit there, empty myself and find my way home.

In relation to others:

• Most people (that I introduce what I learn from our meetings to) say they appreciate it greatly because it is difficult to focus in this world so full of noise.
• Like you have always drilled us, everyone has their own solutions in them.  Ours is not to impose our advice, but to allow them to find their solutions.
• Listening without making the moment “mine” is simple, yet so powerful.  Just last night, I had to listen to someone for over one hour.  At the end he said, “I feel the burden on my chest lighter.” And then he began to cry.
• These past months with the entire team has been amazing for me.  It brought me to the place of empathy working with people and loving, not judging them nor the mistakes they make.

Thank you, ma’am Anna and team, for being so selfless, dedicated, consistent, and, most important, accommodating to us for all these past months.  We are truly grateful and blessed.  We know much is yet to be done, but we are ready to keep learning to the very end.