By Dr. Gail Cloud
Have you noticed how we all can react to how people around us speak with us? What I mean by this is I am constantly amazed and curious about how people hear what they want to hear instead of what the person actually said or what the person meant by their words?
We as the speaker have no control over what the other person hears or understands. What we can do is watch and listen to their response to our words.
I was walking with a friend recently and I saw she was getting winded and was unintentionally blocking a couple who wanted to pass her as we were walking up some steps. When we reached the top my friend was still wandering out to the middle of the walkway and so I asked her to please come stand by me and catch her breath. The other couple were then able to pass. It turns out my friend became defensive and took offense to my suggesting that she was feeling out of breath. In addition I didn’t know she was aware that she was unintentionally blocking the other couple.
I tried to explain that what I meant was that she should feel free to stop and rest when she needed to and not try to keep up with me. That I was happy to take my cues from her. I was never able to finish my explanation as she kept getting defensive. So, I said, let’s just rest a minute here.
She was able to hear that. I don’t know what tape she was hearing inside of her mind. It didn’t match my intention.
Let’s take the time to pay attention to those around us and really listen to how they respond to our words. If we can let go of our judgments and assumptions and take in the other person, we can embrace each other for who we are.
See what you notice around you and take notice of when someone seems to react to your words in a way which seems not quite appropriate to what you meant and/or what you thought you said.
Thank you, and I enjoy being a guide to us being our own agent of health. See you next week. Contact me to make your appointment for guidance. www.bodypresencing.com., gail@bodypresencing.com.
Gail Cloud, D.C.
Healing the Root of the Matter
BodyPresencing; be-ing through presence