“Be unreasonable,” he said, and I felt a surge of energy.
This happened last night at my improv class.
My instructor was giving me feedback on a partner scene exercise.
“You are asking too many questions,” said Patrick. “Make a strong (emotional) choice and commit to it.”
“Yes! fun!” My whole body recognized it as great advice, but what I found so refreshing was how unusual that feedback is in everyday life.
If you are anything like me or my clients, you are trying to be reasonable pretty much all the time.
You want to make sense, be sensitive and a peacemaker.
Women have been criticized as unreasonable so many times, that we have what feels like a survival imperative to proof that we are reasonable.
But to what cost?
Teresa, my client, told me she grew up hearing her dad and brother calling women crazy even thought they were loving with her. “Right there and then, I decided I was going to be very logical and reasonable,” she said with sadness. “As a result, I forgo my spirituality and anything I couldn’t proof.”
Not everybody I coach has Teresa’s awareness, but I’ve observed the need to be reasonable is blocking many of us from our deepest desires.
What would happen if we allowed ourselves to be unreasonable from time to time?
Unreasonable can look like renegotiating the terms of your relationship with your partner, write a blog post about something close to your heart, stop cleaning your house and hire help, stop saying YES when you want to say NO, wear something that is not age-appropriate but makes you feel great, talk to your angels, or sign up for an improv class.
People might be puzzled, some won’t understand or get angry.
But you, my dear, might just find out how much unreasonable energy your life needs to become whole again.
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