How you feel affects others. We all know this on some level. When we’re feeling happy, we smile. And others smile back. When we’re feeling cranky, it seems like everyone is unpleasant. Sometimes we lose sight of this I think.
My feelings affect others
Parisians are not considered the friendliest people. But Paris is one of my very favorite cities, and I’ve experienced nothing but polite and helpful interactions there. On one visit, I mentioned to the concierge how nice everyone was. He replied that this was because they could see in my face how much I loved being there.
The feelings of others affect me
I recently had an unexpected hospital stay (I’m okay). I rarely seek help from Western medicine providers, and I was dreading having to explain my opposition to certain pharmaceuticals. I’ve done that various times, and it’s trying (at best) when you feel good. It’s even more annoying when you don’t. I was pleasantly surprised at the consistently positive responses I got from staff in all the departments, from the ER, to the floor where I stayed for 2 nights, to the special department people. They created a ripple effect for me, with their kind and supportive care. Their focus on my comfort and well-being helped me to shift my attitude into appreciation for each of them.
Group feelings are contagious
Last week, I was in a Peace4Tarpon meeting. We were talking about where some of our opportunities are and how to move forward on those. The first person to speak had some great ideas about how to get started. And then the next person added more ways that were exciting. And it snowballed. You could feel the energy rising, with each person seeing potential solutions. We came away with a good list of actions to explore. It was such a great feeling. It would have been so easy for everyone to have seen all the barriers to moving forward and stayed stuck in that energy.
Our responses reflect our beliefs
What determines the vibration with which we respond to a situation? Unless we are consciously choosing our response, this depends on our default system which is based on our subconscious beliefs. That’s how we interpret events, other people’s behavior, and ourselves, and we operate from that place 95% of the time.
What are your ripples?
I invite you to start paying attention to how you’re feeling as you go through your day. It certainly feels better to share the joy than to struggle with the doubt, disbelief, and fear. But if that discomfort is where you find yourself more often than not, you’re sending those unhappy ripples out to those around you. You owe it to yourself and those you interact with to raise those vibrations.
If you’re curious about what beliefs could be lowering your vibe, schedule a call with me. I’d be happy to talk with you about it.
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