We’re addicted to narrative. We want to know what he said, why she said it, and what they meant when they said it. That’s fine to get tied up in the web of language. It happens. But is that the point? Are we ever really satisfied when we get the answers to our questions? Probably not. At least not for long.
I wonder if we’re asking the right question. Maybe it’s not about what they said but how we feel. What did this exchange bring up in you? Did you suddenly feel threatened, your stomach harden, your throat clenched? Did you suddenly feel like kid again, ashamed for something you weren’t supposed to do? Did you suddenly get sad, angry, or cold? What happened to you?
Everything is an aspect of process. Even ‘suddenly’ isn’t really all that sudden. Your personal narrative is changing all the time. You are actually someone else in any given moment. Look in to this. How are you feeling? Where are you feeling it? Can you drop the story and take in the body? Can you engage the senses and let the mind pause? What is the raw emotion? Can you let it pass though you?
Children teach us so much. Take away a child’s favorite toy during playtime and they’ll kick, scream, and turn purple. They need to express. But then its over. The child is on to something else, a new toy, a game with a friend, singing in the car seat. It passes. It’s not about the story ~ a feeling was born, it had to be released and then the child could move on.
If feeling your emotions is hard for you ~ try doing this alone. Then later you can explore this with someone you love. Be curious about what your body is saying or needing. Just feel what you feel. This is how you build emotional intelligence, which is a necessary gateway to intuition. Feel it ~ the story is gone. What’s happening within you is now. Be here now.
