Scripps Sunday #18- Hawaii Edition!

Anna- I read this over the past week and thought of conversations we've had. This is so good as I learn better boundaries and so empowering. May it be so... 

Stop Absorbing What Isn't Yours

There’s a skill many of us were never taught but desperately need: Not being emotionally porous.

Most of us learn empathy early. But few of us learn boundaries with the same clarity. So we absorb everything—students’ fear, colleagues’ urgency, a family member’s frustration—and then wonder why we’re exhausted before noon.

Holding a yes/and lens can transform your experience:

Yes—you can care deeply.
And—you can stay rooted in yourself.

Yes—someone else may be in turmoil.
And—you can remain steady.

Yes—others may move with urgency.
And—you can keep your own pace.

This discernment is what allows you to stay present without being pulled under.

It’s the ability to say, in your body and your mind: “I see what’s happening. I’m here with you. And I’m choosing who I will be in this moment.”

Because as Carl Jung taught us, and as I remind myself often, you’re not what happened to you. You’re who you choose to be.

If you want a place to start this week, try this simple practice: Before responding to someone else’s emotion, pause, take a breath and name your intention. 

For example, “I choose to act from my values, not the moment’s pressure,” or “I choose curiosity instead of reaction.”

That simple practice can bring a bit more ease.

-Elena Aguilar