Transform Your Life, Learn Focusing, Welcome the Way We Grow
Responsible Decision-Making
"The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations." (from CASEL-SEL-Framework-11.2020)
Focusing teaches us how to hold space for known potentials as well as something new.
In any given situation we will have at least two perspectives. Our left hemisphere stores ideas of solutions that worked in previous similar situations for us. When we are in a hurry, we often act from here without reflecting on other options.
As we practice slowing down in Focusing, we now have access to our body wisdom from our right hemisphere. We can help ourselves and each other check that we are pausing to consider something new for this decision too.
Where do we begin?
We begin by unlearning traditional ways of relating, to ourselves, others and the world around us.
We learn to slow down...
In learning Focusing skills, we begin by unlearning traditional ways of relating that come from an underlying assumption that life is about doing and to be valued we need to fix, save or set ourselves or others straight.
Instead, we learn to slow down, step back from and hold space with interested curiosity for our own emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors.
Our body is our best teacher here. Gradually, by listening within ourselves, we come to understand that our mind/body/brain function best when WE pay attention to what is being communicated to US. We are not our emotions, thoughts, beliefs or behaviors. All of those are open to change. WE are the one responsible for listening and BEING WITH what is needing our attention.
BEING WITH is not as hard as it might sound. Our mind/body/brain functions quite well on its own for much of what it takes to be a human being. And yet, as we begin to tune in, there are numerous
communications that, when responded to in the moment, can function better for
us.