Turning Tables

🎂 On my 21st birthday, my mother gifted me a beautiful keepsake book with pictures of us over the years and lovely little quotes. She was so excited to gift it to me. Me being twenty-one flipped through the pages and was touched by the words but absolutely horrified by some of the pictures she had chosen. Where she saw nothing but beauty, love, and joy, I saw frizzy hair and awkward stages.

And I said so. I can remember questioning her judgement about the photo selections and her feeling hurt. I didn’t fully understand her then, but I do now.

I did something nice for my kids this week. And then they complained about it. 😖 The tables had turned. I was now the mother who felt unappreciated and unseen.

I want freedom. I’m determined to step off the emotional rollercoaster and reclaim my ability to decide how I feel. Every. Single. Day. I feel good because I choose it. I decide my experience and that decision gifts me the perspective to see that reality. (Simple in no way means easy. 🏋🏽‍♂️ The downward pull in life is very real and very strong. Stay tuned for next week’s letter for more on this.)

This week, I harnessed High Vibe Habit #4 - curiosity. I try my very best to be a clear communicator. I’m teaching my children how to do the same.

💬 But, the truth is if you don’t know you’re not feeling good (angry, tired, hungry, upset), you’ll communicate differently than if you felt good. You’ll see and hear differently based on your emotional state.

288 Days has challenged my children and I. There are times we’re running at suboptimal levels. This adventure has been the perfect opportunity for me to practice unconditional love. In this instance it simply means to stop taking things personally so I can see the person in front of me. Really see them.

Too often the first thing you hear in a conversation is your own voice reacting. Your daughter makes a comment and instead of seeing her insecurity, you feel hurt. I fell prey to that quick-draw thinking, but it doesn’t serve me.

How often do you hear yourself before you really hear the other person?

This isn’t an exercise in accepting unwanted behavior. It’s a communication exercise. It’s a self-love and unconditional love exercise. People communicate from the place they are in. What if you could see through their poor communication skills to their struggle? What would you see? And better yet, how would you respond? By letting go of the need to take it personally, you offer the gifts of love, connection, and being seen. You might offer a path to feeling better.

This week I’m encouraging you to hit the slow-mo button in your conversations. What do you hear? What do you see? What do you no longer have to bear on your shoulders?

Improving your internal dialogue is the path to a higher vibrational perspective.