More principles to live by

I really liked how my last blog on principles was received, so here are a few more that I live by:

I tell people what I need.

I have found that the more I share what I need in my life, the more people respond…positively.  So telling people –  especially those closest to us – what we need, is a powerful way to be in the world.  No guessing required.  One caveat: this is about me expressing my emotional needs, not my material wants.

When I feel an impulse to respond or react, I go into awareness mode

How many times has a small disagreement spiraled into a full blow argument? How many times have you responded to someone’s opinion or behavior?  Tried to push your point?  I used to slide down this rabbit hole all the time.

Now, when I feel something come up inside me (a reaction), I do the following:

1. I stop.
2. I check in with myself
3. I look to see why I’m reacting
4. I tell the other person what is alive for me
5. I listen to what is alive in them
6. I take action

Hard to do at times, but critical if you want to relate better with the ones you love.

I never let anyone treat me badly

The last one is very straight forward and simple.  No exceptions.