Last week, someone thanked me for being a mirror.
Now I’ve been called a lot of things in my time, and perhaps surprisingly, this wasn’t the first occasion I’ve been referred to as some version of reflective object.
Sure, most people like to be called a Legend, or Awesome by workshop participants but I actually find it a huge honour to be recognised as, not the fairytale mirror declaring the fairest in all the land, but someone observant and able to feed information about what I see back in real time – so that they can reflect on something for themselves.
In my experience, the body is the most powerful way we mirror our thoughts and feelings, and it’s usually what I notice most about people and gives a glimpse into what’s happening.
When people are communicating something significant, they often slump in their chair, feel distant, or slow their pace. I often feel a sense of dread or tiredness coming from people as they share challenging experiences or thoughts.
Conversely, the spark in someone’s eye, excitement in the air, people looking bright and ready to take on the world when they’re sharing their passion, positive thoughts or experiences, is often clear well before the words come.
Here’s the thing…. Our bodies are communicating how we feel or think, well before we can articulate it. Even when we use strategy or logic to make decisions, our bodies can be screaming something else.
I’m sure you know that feeling of dread in your gut, crawling skin, butterflies, or some other physical reaction that tells you something’s off, but you discount it as something else or talk yourself out of it. Our bodies are often far more in tune with our true feelings than our brains are.
Sometimes we just need someone to notice and mirror back what they see so we can decide if it’s significant or if we’re not quite ready to face that yet.
I’m interested in your thoughts. When have you taken notice of how you feel based on what’s happening in your body? How did that go for you?
Here’s to a week of being well.
Bel
Every Sunday afternoon, Bel sends the Ignite community a personal note of encouragement – reflection, inspiration, stories, and sharing. It’s our way of helping you prepare for the week ahead. Add your details here to receive Here’s The Thing in your inbox.