I have great respect for both Tim Ferris and Jack Kornfield and I recently listened to their episode, Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy in the Present.
My favorite part of the podcast was when Tim Ferris spoke about a recent tricky situation he was in.
Paraphrasing here… he spoke about a time when he didn’t know if he should act from a place of total compassion or if it was time to be stern with his request.
I found that incredibly relatable. We are faced with so many situations throughout our lives and sometimes it’s hard to know when to, let go, focus on appreciation over expectation, or respectfully set a boundary.
Again paraphrasing here. Jack said sometimes you need to speak a different language. For example, speak from a place of directness instead of compassion in order to get your point across.
If you are in a situation like this and you’re trying to figure out what to practice, here’s a trick.
Have you acted from a place of total and complete compassion at least three times and still not seen the progress you are looking for?
If the answer is yes, consider a pivot.
Either drop the expectation or speak in a direct way that clearly articulates your point.
With gratitude,
Gabriella