 |
|
|
 |
||
 |
||
|
|
 |
| Return to Mind Exercises |
relationships
and roles – your learning opportunity
Apart
from our direct sensory perceptions – seeing, hearing, smelling,
tasting, touching - the way we relate to the world is generally
through our interactions with other people. In particular our
emotional behaviour and our thinking is coloured by the people
in our lives.
So it is quite important that we understand the nature of our
relationships, how we allow them to influence us in the present
and how we can make some changes to our thinking and our behaviour
where appropriate.
This Mindercise asks you to consider what can you learn from the
various relationships in your life? And what was/is your role
in each case?
Checklist of people and roles
choose the ones that are relevant for your life
| Mother Wife Father Husband Brother[s] Sister[s] Sibling |
Grandparent[s]
Step-parents Cousin Other relatives Teacher Carer Worker |
Mentor Coach Childhood friends Current close friends Colleagues Student Acquaintances Neighbour |
Describe
the relationship and how you think it helped/helps you and/or
how you think it hindered/hinders you? In the case of hindering,
poor quality relationships, is there anything that you can do
to change the relationship so that it is more beneficial?
With regard to highly unsatisfactory relationships, particularly
those you cannot avoid [eg. those you are born into, or where
the other parent of your children is behaving in an intolerable
way], a realistic assessment is essential.
It may not be possible for you to change the attitude or behaviour
of the other person but knowing this is a first step. You can
then learn to accept the relationship for what it is. Realism
will allow you to look for healthy ways to re-establish the relationship
on a better footing or make radical changes to the circumstances
in which you interact.
Always remember that even if you do not see the other person,
your mental impression of the relationship is in your mind and
can be very powerful – sometimes even years after the relationship
has ended. In certain cases, it may be necessary for you to consult
a professional therapist to help you work through your anger,
grief or sadness.
And where you know that a relationship is positively good for
you and the other person, make sure that you give it the time
and the effort it deserves. Relationships are dynamic in their
need for nourishment. Celebrate and enjoy!
‘We are manifested through our relationships’