Rejection as a Blessing?

I had a dear friend teach me an invaluable lesson today.

Being that I'm a lifestyle cheerleader (aka wellness coach), I'm always on the lookout to help people. So today, when my friend came to me with an issue (they always feel as heaviness and sluggishness to my system), after a few minutes of me "coaching" he stopped me.

He told me that he stopped listening. AKA, I was being rejected. 

At first, I thought what most of us think in those moments. 

MAJOR FAIL.

Then God and The Universe had me come to my senses and learn the following lessons:

• Acknowledge the courage - first off, it's not easy to reject someone... EVER. It's also not easy to accept negative feedback with grace. For me to take it, and not go right into attack mode (which I have learned not to do), also takes courage to stop and listen. 


• Move on, in a LOVING way - as soon as I knew he wasn't listening, I realized two things - he was open to moving on, but I also wasn't the one to help! When I usually do my work, I do minimal talking, so for the simple fact that I was doing all the talking, he saw that my work wasn't working! That fact makes neither of us wrong. What I knew is that I wasn't the one to help him, and that there are probably some of my other coach friends who could reach him. 


• Pushing helps NO ONE - I have a purpose, and is to help those who need it, and who can get my work so that they heal. It helps reserve my energy to work with those who fit with me, and the same for him. No one is meant to properly serve everyone. So letting go of those who don't fit allows us to do our work with those who can be helped, and allows us to maximize our successes.


• End all things in gratitude - before the end of our conversation, there was a moment of silence. After which I gave my friend a sincere and heartfelt thank you. Were it not for this interaction, I would not have the lesson that will benefit and improve my work with others. I honour him for being the space through which I received this lesson.

These same steps can be use for any form of rejection we experience in the future (and I say we, as I hope you will try this method out). Whether it's a promotion, date, raise, contest, client, gig, partner, remembering these things from either side of the rejection - the giver or the receiver - can allow you to honour your integrity and leave a relationship in a better state than where it started.

If you try this out, please leave your comments for what the situation was, and the outcomes, so we all can increase our learning! :)

Why Do We Always Fight?

I have many of my clients who tell me they're always arguing with their partner... They are usually surprised that there are only a few key reasons why this happens. I can trace every incident back to one of these:

• Trying to Fix Someone - many arguments (like the whole toilet seat thing which I will never understand) usually comes from being attached to someone being a certain way... When they don't live up to your expectation, you feel the need to make them be something that you like. Learn to accept people for how they naturally are. It's ok to make suggestions, or point things out that can make them a better person. However, it is not up to us to force that  to happen. The less pressure we give them, the more likely they'll be able to see things for how they are. 


• Turning OUR issues into THEIR issues - We are all mirrors for each other. Sometimes what we see in others is something that we dislike in ourselves. Take a look at what that item is, and see what your true relationship is to that problem. You might just see that the problem is yours, not theirs... Only then, can you find your own solutions to solve things.


• Expectations - No one is perfect. We cannot expect anyone to always be great, happy, perky, and wonderful all the time! All we can do is give  them the space to be authentically who they are, support them, be there for them, and show them love and kindness... The same things we need to always show ourself too! 


• Forgetting What's REALLY Important - is it SO important that we always be right? Is forgetting to do the dishes SO meaningful and significant to our self growth that we are willing spend valuable energy arguing over it for hours? Life is too short to always be fighting small, trivial battles, isn't it?
 

When you feel yourself about to get into an argument - check yourself first! Step back, breathe and ask yourself "Is putting my valuable energy into this worth it?" Or would you rather spend the same amount of energy seeing the good in your partner, or yourself?

With many poor examples of healthy relationships available in the media for what a true, amazing, vibrant one looks like, remember that it is not the only reality. My reality is one where authentic, loving, accepting relationships exist... So that seems to be what I get. I write of that which I see, have, and cultivate myself.

What are you going to choose?

Capsule #2 : How do you leave someone who's not in love with you?

Q: How do you leave someone who's not in love with you?

A':
From Ryan Coelho (#GameOn): Shift your focus to something else you love and go after it. “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option." ~ Maya Angelou

From Bruno Coelho (#TheRabbitWay): Why do you want to leave? Do you only want to love those who love you? If that's so, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Growth happens beyond our comfort zone! Keep walking on your path and learn from those around you. Remember that you need those who support you and that challenge you!

From Bobby Umar (#PoCchat): Start with Love. You can love someone as a human as a spirit as a person deserving of love. Then you can have a better conversation with honesty, humility and without blame. Lastly, make sure it clear what your action plan is and then do it. Ask for support and help and make sure they are getting it too.

Connection Rule 18: "How you say goodbye is just as important as how you say hello"

Connection Rule 151: "Speak the truth gently and hear the truth calmly"

Connection Rule 166: "Resolving conflict well can be done by compromise, give and take, or just letting go"

Connection Rule 193: "Sometimes you win by letting things go" 


From me: If you're able to love yourself first, unconditionally, then you will see that you need no one else to give you love. Once you're able to love YOU, you can then make room in your life for those who love YOU as much as you do! This allows you to also let go of those who cannot reciprocate the love you have to give.