The Healthy Living Plan   •   January 14, 2018

This past week, Oprah and Trump have dominated the media for their spoken words, the passion carried in those words and our reaction to those words. Let’s explore.

We live in tumultuous times.

As we strive for global harmony, we are introducing diversity, change and uncertainty. Depending on our personal situation, our past experiences and our network of family and friends, this can feel either exciting or scary. Often times, new is viewed not only as different, but wrong. We look to protect, close down and shut out. When situations are not aligned to our beliefs, our stress response kicks in. So let’s acknowledge that in these times of change, we are receiving many inputs that just feel wrong. We look for inputs that feel comforting.  Our view depends on where we sit. All of our reactions are information and all are important to process.

The following observations from Oprah and Trump highlight some of my interesting beliefs and my perspective at this point in my journey:

Interesting belief: The president can’t say these things.

Whether your reaction is that we need to correct the president or that he is simply saying what many are thinking, highly energetic statements do prompt highly energetic reactions. We can all benefit from processing our response to create space for better conversations. Despite my belief that the president shouldn’t say these things, the fact is that he does. While campaigning for presidency in 2016, this stirred up lots of emotion for me: anger, frustration and agitation. Friends validated my response because they experienced similar emotion. However, a mentor challenged my response. I began to apply the Logosynthesis® method to neutralize my reactions. I was able to identify the triggers and shift my energy. I became more calm so I had a clearer view of the work to be done, I was better able to articulate my views and my approach was more rational.

Interesting belief: I should speak my truth.

I know that speaking my truth is my most powerful weapon. Oprah’s important call to action reminded me that I need to speak my truth. However, I began to question whether I spoke my truth or just reacted in the moment. I decided to explore in my Logosynthesis practice group this past week, in the context of an upcoming media interview. I’ve done interviews in the past and I don’t particularly like my appearance on television. But I sensed that there was something underlying this response.  As I explored with my coach, I said ‘I don’t want to put myself out there.’ I can appreciate that it is difficult to speak my truth if I don’t want to share anything about myself. We worked with the statement and I noticed a shift. I don’t have the same apprehension, I feel more confident to express what is important and I sense greater compassion. 

Interesting belief: Times up.

I notice that there is a great deal of energy bound in these two words: Times up. Or perhaps one word: #timesup. We all react based on our experiences. For me, as painful as it is for the women who have been impacted, I feel we cannot ignore the negative impact this has on men as well. This will trigger a negative reaction for people but it is important to explore all reactions. I sense the pain, suffering and inequities. I react to this highly charged environment. And I am highly committed to positive change. However, I have come to realize that I can better influence change if I process my emotions first. The challenge is that there is a lot of energy, in personal experiences and our cultural pasts, which requires processing. I don’t believe that thinking happy thoughts, running to new situations or taking the other person down are the most effective methods. Through my work with Logosynthesis as a philosophy and a guided change method, I have learned that when I begin with myself to process my reactive energy, I can create space for better choices and help others to heal their suffering. It’s a journey but it’s worth it.

Time is not up. Time is a continuum. Together, we can change the trajectory if we accept responsibility to process our individual reactions to better speak our truth, not just our beliefs, in this tumultuous world.