Wild Horses

Wild Horses…
(Can’t Drag it Out of Me)

One of the most essential ingredients to communication that is truthful, has integrity and builds trust is consent. Consent is a highly underrated aspect of relational communication that is worthy of all our consideration.

When we communicate from the inside out, offering the vulnerable and tender parts of ourselves as a way to express our feelings, connect with our people, and understand ourselves and others better, we need to know and believe that what we articulate will be received and handled with care. That means that anything that is shared belongs ONLY to the person sharing, NEVER to the person receiving.

Instead, the recipient acts as steward of the information, holding it and caring for it as they would a tiny baby or a small puppy. This living, breathing body of information does not become ours simply because we are in possession of it for a time. Rather, we are entrusted with bearing witness and helping the person sharing hold and tend to this heartfelt property for a short time. Our only job is to listen, reflect if invited, and hold sacred the exchange.

Shared information should never become content for us to use for entertainment or to seek connection with third parties or to soothe our feelings of inadequacy.

So the next time the urge to share something that isn’t yours wells up in your throat, take pause, redirect that energy, and practice feeding your own internal well and honing your benevolent heart as a safe, trustworthy one.