Yield, Absorb, Redirect, Harmonise — Continued
Dear Readers, welcome to SC Musings, Blog 5.
I connected with you in Blog 4 from Bolgatty Island, Ernakulam, where I attended the wedding of a dear NG trainee. SC Musings flowed forth effortlessly in the surreal ambience, surrounded by water, boats, and birds, along with the celebrations.
Back in Coimbatore, with a carload of plants, I touched base and grounded with preparations for the NG 23rd Board Meeting.
Understanding Incoming Forces Through Communication
Previously, we explored force and incoming force using the NG Holistic Model of a Human Being. We also delved into the Tai Chi slogan, Yield, Absorb, Redirect and Harmonise (Lam, 2015, p. 187), through Aruna’s case study.
For a deeper understanding and application of this slogan, let us now look at Shyamala’s response to a query about Nitya Gurukula services.
Shyamala, as NG Accounts in Charge, handles various accounts and communicates regularly with bank executives. In one such encounter, a curious Bank Executive questioned her about how NG People Work services differ from a Guru taking care of people.
The exchange between Shyamala (SL) and the Bank Executive (BE) is presented below.
SL: So, what does your Guru do?
BE: He thinks for us and shows us the path.
SL: In NG, we help individuals think and they find their path.
In the above conversation, the incoming force came as a question about the difference between a Guru ‘taking care’ and NG People Work. The question carried a blend of curiosity and subtle force, implying that NG’s service might be superfluous or insufficient.
Yielding to and absorbing this subtle force, Shyamala redirected the conversation by asking the Bank Executive about his Guru’s ‘taking care’. Her response about the guidance provided in NG, which motivates individuals to think and find their own path, satisfied the Bank Executive. He reportedly left with an insight into a new way of taking care of individuals.
The Subtle Forces Behind Our Communication
We often exchange, that is, give and receive, both explicit and hidden messages in our communication and relationships.
Explicit messages are mostly clear and understandable. Hidden or latent messages are the ‘subtler and intangible forces’ mentioned in Blog 4.
Implicit, hidden messages result in ulterior transactions (Berne, 2015, pp. 103–104), which are ever prevalent in our communications.
Like the ripples caused by powerful undercurrents in the Pacific Ocean, ulterior messages can create ripples or even storms and tsunamis in our communication and relationships.
Despite having climbed the evolutionary ladder, we humans have not yet mastered the art of appropriate communication that nurtures and grows ourselves and others.
Turbulence in the form of polarised positions and raging battles across the globe showcases our reactionary mindsets and our stubborn unwillingness to redirect and harmonise.
The People Worker’s Role: Redirecting and Harmonising
As People Workers, we continue to witness these turbulences in ourselves and in the individuals, families, and organisations we work with.
Our efforts are largely directed towards developing strategies and skills to redirect and harmonise.
Incoming forces need to be dealt with strategically and intentfully. We will continue to explore this in the upcoming blogs.
We need not make it a humongous chore or task. Instead, we can start with a tiny step.
Are you ready?
A Tiny Tip for the Next Fortnight
Begin watching your breath for just one minute daily till we meet next fortnight with Blog 6.
Dear Reader, I look forward to seeing you next fortnight, when we will explore insights on ‘redirecting and harmonising’.
Until then, please remember the tiny tip:
Watch your breath, once a day, for one minute.
References
Berne, E. (2015). Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy: A Systematic Individual and Social Psychiatry. (Original work published 1961). Martino Publishing.
Lam, P., & Bawden-Davis, J. (2015). Born Strong: From Surviving the Great Famine to Teaching Tai Chi to Millions [E-book]. Narwee, Australia: Tai Chi Productions.
