Kids’ Menu from the Chlachain Inn, Mallaig, Scotland
In the summer, this amusingly original kids’ menu did the rounds on social media. Everyone recognised the humour in it because we’ve all been there – as parents and carers, or as kids ourselves.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that people often come to coaching unable to articulate or even get a handle on what it is that they really want. This shows up pretty much like the Chlachain’s witty menu:
I don’t know (Beefburger & fries): You’re out of ideas, have no time to think, don’t know what options there are. Figuring out what you might want feels like a big, overwhelming task. Easier to pick the familiar option, like a burger and fries. Nice. But is there a more exciting alternative? Something that would be a better, more rewarding choice for you?
I don’t want anything (Haddock & fries): A nice safe place to be. No trouble to anyone ‘No, no, you carry on, I’ll be alright.’ But it can create resentment, build up misery. Fish and chips is tasty, but if you’d rather be out in the fresh air catching the fish than inside eating it, what are you going to do about it? What’s the thing you’re denying when you say you don’t want anything at all?
I’m not hungry (Cheesy pasta & garlic bread): Listless, lacking energy, stuck on the hamster wheel, sapped of all enthusiasm. You do what you’re good at and keep the show on the road. It just doesn’t mean anything anymore. Life is bland and unfulfilling – the cheesy pasta that keeps us going. But it’s hardly inspiring. What is it that moves you? What could bring your appetite back?
I don’t want that (Tomato Pasta & garlic bread): Everyone’s favourite – the list of what I don’t want, don’t like, not this, not that, slinging mud every which way and coming up empty-handed. Like tomato pasta, it’s the more acidic version of not being hungry anymore. You reject all the same things over again and don’t make any progress. It’s bitter. Toxic. What else is out there? What else is within you? Where could you look for fresh ideas?
I don’t care (Battered chicken chunks & fries): Like the chicken nuggets here, people feel battered and forlorn. They’ve given up. If nobody else is bothered, why should you? Better not to care when you feel you’re not being listened to. But maybe you can find a glint of hope, like salt crystals on your fries making the ordinary more special. Maybe there’s a new way to use your care and your commitment. How else could you channel your talent? Where else might your energies be welcomed?
If you recognise yourself in any of these ‘menu items,’ you’re not alone. Have a think about the questions they raise. You could take thirty minutes to free-write your thoughts and read them back the next day. Or do the exercise for a week – you might surprise yourself with what you discover.
And of course if you’d like to talk it through, you can get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat. Email hello@storyroad.co.uk
Whatever you want, I hope you find your way to it.