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Lessons from Heartwarming Conversations
Fulfilling, Empowering, Gratifying, and Rewarding.
Over the last few weeks, I got the opportunity to connect with 15 people in my network, 1:1 for 30 minutes, to offer safe sharing spaces. The motive of creating this space was to be 100% present for the people who sign up. I was open to catching up for a coffee chat, collaborating on vision boarding, providing art therapy, expressing gratitude, sharing something I know, or just listening. Mind you, I am not a professional counselor or a therapist. I am just a normal human who wishes to take a step towards building a world where people care about one another. Needless to say, all the conversations were heartwarming and light. I learned a lot and experienced an inner shift. Compiling my lessons with some tips that you can start following today:
Overcoming resistance is challenging, yet supremely relieving
I usually feel vulnerable opening up in front of people, wondering what will they think of me when I do this. This fear of judgment is so strong that often I do not end up expressing what I wish to, letting the thoughts stay with me for days until they become black boxes sifted away somewhere in a part that no one can ever reach. This time, I took a leap of faith in sharing out this offer, letting go of the questions — Do I have something to offer? What if no one signs up? What will people say? And, no wonder, there were more sign-ups than I planned for and I could take the perspective of an international student, an educator, a friend, a wife, a sister, and a lot more. From what I heard people say, they had only good things to share. How relieving it felt after each conversation! And, as they say, we are all a reflection of each other. A majority of people who joined overcame “I wanted to talk to you for so long!”. Overcoming resistance never felt so light.
Tip 1: If you are not doing something because you are worried as to what people will think, take a small step, and do it anyway.
Tip 2: Call the person whom you have been “wanting to talk for so long”!
