The outcome of today’s election in the USA is so up in the air. Tensions are running high. Agreed?
Which makes this advice even more relevant… be a tube not a container!
Come again?
Remember when you were with that client, friend or family member who was having a really hard time? They felt that you were the only person they could talk to? And as you listened to them you started to feel agitated, anxious, out-of-sorts? That’s because you were being a container for the energy, taking it all in and holding on to it.
They thanked you for listening ‘cause they felt much better. You walked away feeling icky and wondering why.
And it may not even be a specific person…. Often right before a speaking gig I’ll tune into the energy of the audience. If I’m a container, I’ll feel nervous as a haggis on Rabbie Burns Night (translation – as a turkey at Thanksgiving).
Yep! That really is a wild Scottish Haggis 😉
So what to do?
Don’t be a container, be a tube.
When you’re a tube you let the energy flow through you. You don’t try to hold on to it.
It won’t make you any less empathic or compassionate. By being a tube you’re more likely to stay centered in your heart, and are less likely to get pulled into their emotion.
And the same is true working with groups. I once had to speak to 200 executives right after at least a third of their colleagues had been let go. Many had worked there for decades. Anyone in the room could be next… and they knew it. I was booked to do an inspirational leadership keynote to end the first day of their conference! Yikes!
By being a tube and not a container I could tap into the emotion and energy in the room and address it, without getting caught up in it.
And one of the easiest ways to stay a tube is to simply breathe, and imagine the energy flowing through you with each breath.
Which brings me back to today and the election in the US. As the results come in, whether they favor your choices or whether they don’t, remember to be a tube and not a container… and breathe. That will help you stay centered in your heart. And that feels good.
Now, go vote!