Most of us would probably relegate fairy tales to a childhood indulgence, but behavioural trainer, counsellor and life coach Marian Paintal has tapped this rich source of fantasy to re-write the script of our lives. “Stories are an integral part of our lives, especially fairy tales. Every girl dreams of being pretty and loveable like Cinderella and similarly every boy aspires to be a brave heart/charmer like the young prince in the story,” avers Marian. Her concept and work stems from the fact that these fairy tales have invariably influenced our values and shaped our lives. “They have become the scripts of our life,” states this former Delhi-school headmistress, who is making the slow transition to her roots in Goa from Pune.
Tapping on this source, Marian employs the two tools of Transactional Analysis (TA) and NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) to harness the strong and not-so strong aspects of an individuals character to facilitate the development of their hidden potential and personality. “I ask everyone to choose their favourite story and the character they identify with. Another exercise also involves listing characters and their traits they dislike. If they do not like a character, I ask them to query whether they have a spark of this negativity in their character and whether it can be turned around,” explains Marian.
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The reasons she points out are manifold. “It deals with the idea of learning concepts; working on and grooming oneself; finding out what are ones strong and not-so-strong points. This exercise can help anyone discover and exploit their potential to become a better and more confident person. It teaches them how to interact with people; how to make and take decisions; the importance of working with other people and how to make the whole process fun,” says Marian who observes that Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel are some of the most preferred fairy tales chosen.
Infusing her work with fact-paced solutions, creative techniques and innovative ideas, Marian’s concept of StoryWorks combines narration and adaptation, weaving everyday experiences into innovative participation. “its amazing if someone has a creative mind and given an opportunity what can come out of it,” she relates of her nearly two year foray into this field after training with the founder of TA in India Fr George Kandathil and Richard Bandler, co-developer of NLP.
Dismissing the notion that children are more attuned to this concept, Marian points out how more adults are seeking the ‘fairy tale’. “They connect with it more given the fact that they grew up in an era where reading of fairy tales was part of their lives. Today’s children are more attuned to a different kind of story. I want them to get back to the practice of reading, particularly fairy tales. It moulds the mind and teaches us so much about the world without the necessity of having to travel around,” avers Marian who firmly believes that creativity plays and is the greatest driving force in our lives.
(StoryWorks workshop will be conducted at the International Centre, Goa, Dona Paula on October 24 and 25, 2015 from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 10am to 4pm respectively.)
