Mediating a few weeks ago, a client said, “We are all made of sound.”
She meant that we are all influenced by others, shaped by others. What a poetic way of putting it. I have commented before on the “ghosts in the room,” in mediation – the parents, girlfriends, best friends, etc. who influence our thinking. These people, who are not actually sitting around the table, can have a deep effect on mediation. How do we address their thoughts — their voices in our conscience, giving their opinions?
One thing we can do is acknowledge their existence. Simply admit that they exist and allow them to be there. they serve a purpose. Most often, they have good intentions. Listen to those voices and decide how much you will listen to them – how loud they will be to your ears. But then realize that what those well-intentioned people want for you might not be exactly what you want for yourself. Do those voices harmonize with your own? Do they augment it? Or is there discord?
And then we must listen to our own inner voices, too. For we are writing the story of our life – we are each writing our own personal symphony.