Mid-July 2022 Newsletter

Hello, and a more-than-enough juicy Mid-July to you!
Welcome, or welcome back, to my newsletter. Today's issue is about being real, or not. Enjoy!

When you're talking with someone else and it feels like they're being evasive, or they won't look you in the eye, you probably suspect they're not being honest with you. They might not be trying to cheat or deceive you, just unwilling to share painful feelings, so they say they're "fine" when they don't look fine at all. What happens when the person reluctant to share their true feelings is you?

The child in the image above is clearly not faking being happy and delighted, he actually is. You've heard "children have no filter", that is, they say exactly what's on their mind, and it's easy to tell how they feel. This can be uncomfortable for the adults around the child, as they rush to teach appropriate social behavior. When we grow and become more civilized, though, we can go too far. We may not express any discomfort and stuff our emotions down so deep even we ourselves don't know how we feel.

They say honesty is the best policy, though it may not be wise to be brutally honest with all people in all situations. Yet I do think it's important to be honest with yourself. You can always filter or modify what you say or present to others, as long as you know how you really feel and aren't hiding from that or denying it. Otherwise, like the quote says, you're blinding your inner witness.

You may be the one who does most of the communication or emotional work in a friendship, or in a work partnership or romantic relationship. At first you're glad to carry the heavier load, to help and support, and eventually you're likely to want some help yourself. You are not being honest with yourself or the other person if you don't express your needs. Sometimes being real means allowing yourself to be vulnerable, as scary as that might feel.

Being real means being present, connected to the world around you. It's not being absorbed in the images on a screen, oblivious to your surroundings. Yoga teachers talk about being "in the body" (as opposed to being lost in your thoughts, out of touch with your environment or physical sensations). The senses are a simple way to re-engage: what do you hear right now, maybe the birdsong outside the open window? What do you smell, the sweet fragrance of newly-mown grass from next door? Getting in touch with the information your senses bring you is the simplest way to bring yourself back to the present moment.

When starting on the path to improving my vision so many years ago, it was a challenge to remain visually connected to my surroundings. In many cases I didn't want to be where I was, unless I was reading a book. I never looked at anything for long, especially other people. Now I enjoy letting my gaze play over the contours of a cloud overhead when going for a walk, or examining the houses with their front steps and windows and roof angles. In the past I rarely gave my attention to anything farther than a few feet away. It's so exciting that the more I look at the reality which is here, the clearer I can see it. Are you letting yourself look?

To read about being in the present moment to help my visual focus, click here.

Have you wondered if my work could help you?
I'm now offering complimentary Discovery Session consultations of 20 minutes or so, for us to discuss what you're looking for in a coach, and to see whether you and I feel like a fit to work together formally. To schedule your Discovery Session, click here.

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Please send me your questions and comments
Let me know what you've wondered about concerning energy medicine or vision or dreams. I'll be glad to write a short article addressing that topic. Thank you to those who have sent me questions, or see a question you asked me in a private session written about here. You're helping many other people! Enjoy the second half of this jubilant month of July. I'll write again in a few weeks. Take care!