I get really excited about things. Ethan, my boyfriend, often compares me to a dog when I get really excited because I can't contain myself. I want to pounce on the opportunity, the conversation, the situation. I get so wrapped up in the moment that I can forget about waiting my turn to speak and being patient with my surroundings.
Furthermore, I grew up in a family where I am the youngest of 3 and the only girl. So I constantly felt like I had to interrupt to be heard over two very entertaining and loud brothers. This continues to show up in my life now.
I try to be kind and compassionate with myself when I notice I am getting super excited and want to speak when it is not my turn or feeling the urge to interrupt someone else to make sure I get my point across. I'll admit, this is a constant practice for me, both to pause and take a breath and to be kind and compassionate toward myself. But, something that has helped (besides talking to myself to either calm myself down or tell my inner child that they will be heard eventually) is to start to focus on what the other person is saying.
I teach my clients that we are not just nourished by what we are eating but also by our surroundings and environment. A conversation can satiate you just the same way a meal can when you are really hungry. When we slow down, not just with our meals, but with our friends and family we get the chance to enjoy their company and truly listen to what they are saying. When we sit and listen to what someone else has to say we can then process that information easier and digest that experience thoroughly because we were truly present and not in our heads thinking about the next things that we want to say.
Greek Philosopher Epictetus said: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
When I am able to listen with both my ears, my excitement does not diminish but it gets contained; it becomes more manageable in the moment so that I can stay present with myself and those around me. This feels more nourishing in the end. When we are able to be nourished and satiated by our conversation with others, we feel connected to our surroundings and thus more connected to ourselves.
Furthermore, I grew up in a family where I am the youngest of 3 and the only girl. So I constantly felt like I had to interrupt to be heard over two very entertaining and loud brothers. This continues to show up in my life now.
I try to be kind and compassionate with myself when I notice I am getting super excited and want to speak when it is not my turn or feeling the urge to interrupt someone else to make sure I get my point across. I'll admit, this is a constant practice for me, both to pause and take a breath and to be kind and compassionate toward myself. But, something that has helped (besides talking to myself to either calm myself down or tell my inner child that they will be heard eventually) is to start to focus on what the other person is saying.
I teach my clients that we are not just nourished by what we are eating but also by our surroundings and environment. A conversation can satiate you just the same way a meal can when you are really hungry. When we slow down, not just with our meals, but with our friends and family we get the chance to enjoy their company and truly listen to what they are saying. When we sit and listen to what someone else has to say we can then process that information easier and digest that experience thoroughly because we were truly present and not in our heads thinking about the next things that we want to say.
Greek Philosopher Epictetus said: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
When I am able to listen with both my ears, my excitement does not diminish but it gets contained; it becomes more manageable in the moment so that I can stay present with myself and those around me. This feels more nourishing in the end. When we are able to be nourished and satiated by our conversation with others, we feel connected to our surroundings and thus more connected to ourselves.
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