The Five Freedoms

I recently shared this quote - one of my favorites - by Virginia Satir, a famous therapist, with a friend...and wanted to share it with you, too.

The Five Freedoms

The FREEDOM to see and hear what is here, instead of what should be, was, or will be.

The FREEDOM to say what you feel and think, instead of what you should.

The FREEDOM to feel what you feel, instead of what you ought.

The FREEDOM to ask for what you want, instead of always waiting for permission.

The FREEDOM to take risks in your own behalf, instead of choosing to be only "secure" and not rocking the boat.

The bearable lightness of being

Marshall Rosenberg, who has developed the concept of nonviolent communication, says in a book that he is going to do only things that he can do with a playful lightness. "Never do anything that is not play."
He tells in "conflict resolution ..." (P. 41/42 slightly shortened) of his experience:

On the day when I started this list [of the things I do not easily] in order to check why I do things, was a real challenge, and this at two o´clock in the morning: I heard the baby scream in the neighbour room. What do you believe what my [...] inside said: "You have to feed the baby!" So I sighed and tortured me with this negative energy out of bed. But I was in the process [...] to teach me to do nothing, which is not easy. It was a real challenge in the middle of the night, but I was adamant and put me back to bed. Ah, that was good! [...]
Yes, the baby still cried, and I saw the headlines: "[...] disturbed psychologist leaves his child starving ...". But it has taken only ten seconds until the "You have to" was out of my head and I imagined the child next door who does not yet know how to get food. [...]. Then I got up, gave him the bottle and did it with pleasure ....

Originally written by Kerstin Hack on Tuesday, January 13, 2009@ 13:44

Gift

What a gift: I have slept this night 12 hours (I almost never do) and I probably slept the jet-lag out of my bones and am now wide awake and happy to be back here!

Originally written by Kerstin Hack on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 @ 13:18

Being happy about 1000 things

Anthony de Mellos` thought I will take for the day: people who are happy about only a few things and think that only these things and circumstances can make them happy, suffer greatly if they lose one of the few things. However, people who are happy about 1.000 things can not take it as hard if they lose one of them. [Compendious out of "The Way to Love" .]
I want to be happy about 1.000 things!

Originally written by Kerstin Hack Monday, January 05, 2009
@ 15:34