Our family has been enjoying our time together, especially the opportunity for home cooking. We have been following public health guidelines for our safety and the safety of others. While I certainly look forward to things ‘opening up’, I realize that many new routines will need to continue.
As we think about various situations, we can begin to appreciate why people react differently.
I am aware of significant concerns around me. It is evident through my social media feed and through conversations, there is intensity in feelings and emotions. Our actions and reactions trigger reactions in others. As we think about various situations, we can begin to appreciate why people react differently. Think of an interaction between an adult with aging parents and a youth wanting to hang out with friends. Think of someone who works in healthcare and their neighbour who is not following the guidelines. Think of someone who, despite working extremely hard, lost their business interacting with a relative who enjoyed leisure time at home and received a regular cheque from the government. When we pause to consider, we can appreciate the differences in the responses. We can recognize how easy it is for relationships to be challenged.
How we respond in situations can have a significant impact on others. It is important that we recognize how we are reacting and recognize the reactions of others. As we look to ‘open up’ to a new normal, our interactions will require that we raise the bar in kindness and compassion. This response is needed exactly at a time when we are feeling more worried, anxious, and frustrated than normal. During these times, we may struggle to be available to support others. So how do we accomplish this?
Learning to shift from worry, frustration, and anxiety to calm, peace, and trust is powerful. Although it runs counterintuitive to our ‘thinking’, the work can be surprisingly fast when we connect with our ‘feelings’. I love to share an innovative approach to resolve what bothers us. Logosynthesis, developed by Willem Lammers, is a model for self-coaching and guided change, based on the power of words and sentences to change energy fields.
I have found this approach very empowering. Using my reactions as information, I am able to identify and process the perceptual trigger. Rather than focusing my energy on managing my reaction or coping with the situation, I resolve the trigger. When the trigger is gone, I experience the situation differently. I feel calmer and more focused. And when I feel calm, it helps those around me to feel calm.
For our world to thrive, we benefit by learning to resolve feelings of fear, worry, and anxiousness. We feel better when we can achieve a sense of calm, peace, and trust. We benefit when we can feel kindness and compassion to support those around us who may be struggling. In working with Logosynthesis for my own self-care and for supporting others, I have found the shifts subtle yet profound. Our ‘issue’ falls away. We lose the sense of anger and disappointment with the other person. We replace feelings of worry with a sense of calm and focus. It creates space for better conversations. The beauty is that relationships improve without having to ‘work on them’. From my experience, we can’t think our way to understand how it works but we can notice the results by giving the method a try. I have included a link below to a guided video so you can try it for yourself!
To try some free resources, check out this link.
