Living The Emerson Rule

September 2, 2014December 30, 2022

What is My Body Telling Me?

… that I am not willing to hear?

Since the late 80’s I’ve gorged on books like Dr. Bernie Siegel’s Love, Medicine and Miracles, Peace, Love, and Healing, and Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life. I find the mind-body connection fascinating. While I say I’m all for combining traditional methodologies with alternatives to provide a complementary approach to healing, I’ve seriously pissed people off suggesting they – first – consider some of the underlying principles from the alternative side of the isle.

Am I ignoring the holistic, complementary approach since I broke my pinkie-toe on my left foot two weeks ago? The toe’s been taped, iced and recommended dosages of ibuprofen taken to reduce the swelling. Applying the alternatives – asking questions like “what is my toe trying to tell me?” Affirmation, affirmation! However, being a bit (lot) stubborn I DID NOT want to curtail my exercise regimen. So toe, just tell me what “understanding” I need to have to make the pain go away. Please don’t make me stop dancing!

Alas; damn pinkie-toe just won’t heal – not talking to me either. Could it be that I am beating her to smithereens with Cardio Fusion, Zumba® and MADD-X® and she’s pissed-off? Don’t think fitness yoga is helping either. Well buggers. Guess I have to slow down, take it easy; and keep listening for the still quiet pinkie-toe voice.

“Our bodies communicate to us clearly and specifically, if we are willing to listen to them.” – Shakti Gawain

September 1, 2014December 30, 2022

Courage

Every day I have an opportunity to choose. Will I choose to fit in? Will I choose to be uniquely me? What is possible today?

August 28, 2014December 30, 2022

This Life Ain’t for Sissies

Was going about the business of being me this week – being the “business me” on a conference call; just saying what I needed to say, saying what I wanted to say. No biggie. Turns out this one guy really didn’t like how I showed up – and challenged what I said, how I said it – told me all about it. Hmmm: totally surprised me. It actually wasn’t what I said, or meant, which was a bit confusing. Anyway, told the guy – profusely – sorry about what he heard; don’t recall saying what he heard – sure don’t disrespect his knowledge of his business. He pushed hard and told me someone “pinged him” on chat “WOW” about my comments, basically validating that he was right and I was wrong. Again: profusely – sorry about what they both heard; don’t recall saying it (Am I crazy?); sure don’t disrespect his knowledge of his business. I don’t think he liked my apology; I didn’t validate his point-of-view or that of his witness; but he grudgingly accepted that I don’t disrespect his knowledge of his business.

Checked in with my boss, who I totally respect and admire. Turns out she admitted that she “cringed” at my tone and wondered if I knew the guy was on the call. What? (Now I really must be crazy!) I was being me – said what I thought – no disrespect for anyone – wasn’t pissed – wasn’t in a bad mood. What?

How can I be me and not be swayed by other people’s reality, but consider feedback? How can I do that? After serious reflection and meditation on my motives, I know I meant no disrespect, have no recollection that my “tone” was in any way out of the ordinary. I was just being me. I am not crazy.

NOW: how do I not want to change me and mold myself to be more pleasing and acceptable to others? Do I throw “me” out for approval and to fit in? So uncomfortable. Just being me, speaking my truth. I feel okay to apologize for the guy hearing something I didn’t intend. But what he heard was about him, not me. So much harder to hear someone I respect and care about see me in a negative way; but that is about her, not me.

Being willing to be me even when no one “gets me” is hard. Of course I want to be accepted and liked. So uncomfortable to not accept that “I must be crazy (wrong) .. whatever” in the face of the response I got – way uncomfortable. I want to be me. I want to be me no matter what. The “no matter what” may be lack of understanding, no acceptance, people I love insisting I am wrong, my desire to be loved and wanted edging me to give “me” up. This life ain’t for sissies!

August 23, 2014December 30, 2022

You’re Right – I’m Wrong

According to Dr. Dain Heer, ” The only way most people are willing to change something is if they believe that what they are currently choosing is wrong. They are so busy trying to prove that they are not wrong, because they already believe they are wrong. So they won’t change anything, because if they change anything, it means what they choose in the past was wrong, but they are not willing to be wrong, even though they have considered themselves wrong every moment of their lives.”

THIS is why I follow the Emerson Rule; it allows me to be wrong in the past and change in the now! No matter how imperfectly I practice this allowance to be wrong .. I find that letting go of ideas, beliefs, convictions and judgments that new learning and understanding prove wrong FOR ME – I gain a sense of ease and peace with myself that is beyond the need to be right.