11 responses so far ↓

• 1 Leonie Jun 11, 2006

  1. Do you exude a sense of support and compassion with others?

  i believe so. i wish to create a safe sacred space for them to be themselves in.

  2. Do others feel safe and relaxed with you?

  yes. i do know there is some small, nicked moments where i have my barbs and my scorpio tail comes slithering out. i know this is the times when i am swept with fear, loss and judgements. i have been given the gift of forgiveness, and now i learn how to use it.

  3. Are you a generally positive person?

  indeed, very much so. my trademark is joy is an option. i hope to imbue this energy with those who surround me.

  4. Are you non-judgmental with yourself and others?

  no. i am doing the best i can, and i know everyone else is too. this is a head knowing, and it is still taking residence in my core soul knowing, the place where i move from.

  5. Are you compassionate with your own shortcomings and try to heal them?

  yes. gently, gently.
  i have become much kinder to myself over the years,
  and am coming to feel the healing.

  6. Do you feel peaceful much of the time?

  yes, especially when i am In the Moment.

  7. Are you able to let resentments go rather than harboring them?

  i live on the line between these two.
  it doesn’t serve me to be filled with resentment,
  and the art of letting go is becoming closer to me.

  8. Do you laugh frequently?

  i don’t stop. even in my sleep.

  9. Are you kind to your family, friends and people you don’t know well?

  yes.

  thank you for these questions,
  blessings,
  Leonie

• 2 Inger Nilsen Jun 12, 2006

  1. Do you exude a sense of support and compassion with others?
  I definitely do. I am extremely empathetic and really listen, hear and perceive people’s needs, desires, vunerablities. People trust me and confide in me and feel very secure with me. They often tell me that my advice or observations have a profound effect on them and help them empowering themselves and dealing with the knocks they are receiving.

  2. Do others feel safe and relaxed with you?

  Very! They trust me and open up completely – no holds. They seek me out and I know which questions to aks that prompts them to overcome their feelings of being overwhelmed. I am discreet and don’t gossip and uphold their confidentiality. People do not feel they have to ‘bluff’ in front of me.

  3. Are you a generally positive person?

  I come across as being extremly optimistic and positive. Even when I have to give people a negative fact (e.g. the man in their life is unfaithful, abusive or whatever) I do it in a way that the person feels strong enough to deal with it. This is a contridiction but with my own life I feel very afraid and insecure and am terrified of failure!

  4. Are you non-judgmental with yourself and others?

  I am totally non-judmental with others and that is why they feel so free to confide in me. However, with myself I am always so critical, dwell on past mistakes and generally beat myself up. For example I think I’m a slut because I can’t say no to a man when he tries to get me into bed – despite the fact that I really don’t want to sleep with him!

  5. Are you compassionate with your own shortcomings and try to heal them?

  No! I just keep asking myself why am I a procrastinator, weak person. I have started therapy and am working through journalling, which is helping me immensely but I’m still at the baby steps phase.

  6. Do you feel peaceful much of the time?

  I’d say it it 60% of the time. The other 40% I suffer with anxiety and stress about my finances, my procrastination at work and with my book, my parenting and my relationship with my boyfriend.

  7. Are you able to let resentments go rather than harboring them?

  I am really bad at forgiving and forgetting. I perceive it as a conspiracy of others to harm me. For example I think my Mother really hates me and when she ignores and interrupts me I perceive it as proof that I am just a bad daughter. When my boyfriend flirts with someone else I think he wants that woman and can’t wait to be rid of me and when he apologises I think he is lying.

  8. Do you laugh frequently?

  Yes. People comment that I am always happy and bright and I find humour most of the time in life.

  9. Are you kind to your family, friends and people you don’t know well?

  I am not kind to my family and boyfriend. I get all moody and angry and then I lash out at them with a terrible vindictive streak. However with close friends and people I don’t know well I am always pleasant and gregarious.

• 3 Toni Jun 12, 2006

  1. Do you exude a sense of support and compassion with others? Yes.

  2. Do others feel safe and relaxed with you? I’d like to think so!

  3. Are you a generally positive person? Yes. Glass half full, baby.

  4. Are you non-judgmental with yourself and others? NO. I’m *really* hard on myself, and I think I tend to be on others, too. I also tend to pigeonhole people – usually under the guise of humor – but I think sometimes this limits me, too.

  5. Are you compassionate with your own shortcomings and try to heal them? NO! Just this morning in the shower I found myself berating myself over work-related stuff (I’m self-employed). I’m not achieving enough, earning enough. I almost said “stop!” aloud. I couldn’t believe that this sort of dialogue was going on almost without me noticing it, and it made me wonder what else I’m missing.

  6. Do you feel peaceful much of the time? I’d have to say about half the time.

  7. Are you able to let resentments go rather than harboring them? Eventually. I do think I hold on to things for too long, and it’s hard to shake the anger at feeling wronged, but I do eventually untie that knot. When I do, it feels so much better.

  8. Do you laugh frequently? YES. Humor is one of my favorite things about myself.

  9. Are you kind to your family, friends and people you don’t know well? YES. I’ve vowed not to live somewhere that people don’t wave and say hi to each other. I have that here and I love it. But, I really believe in being kindest to those with whom we’re closest; not to treat family like a doormat and then smile at the mailman.

• 4 sue walsh Jun 12, 2006

  Jennifer-
  As I attempted to follow your journey and be that relaxed person life gets in the way…or should I say I allow others to put things in my path to disrupt my level of peace. I desire to answer those questions in positive ways but at this point they are goals and targets to work toward.

• 5 Pixie Jun 12, 2006

  Okay, so Judith Orloff’s description of Positive Energy fits me on my best days. Those are the days I’ve got the right size filter so I don’t have to squish paper towels into the top of the coffee maker, the bunny doesn’t bite me after I tell her how cute she looks, I have ten minutes to do a couple sun salutations and the kids are up after asking only fifteen, not twenty times. Fortunately, those days are becoming more frequent since I’m a couple (few) years past forty-five and realize that lots of the things that used to suck all of my energy away really weren’t worth it (ex-husband included). Judith Orloff’s list are my aspirations and if I can say “yes” to half of them on any day, I’m pretty proud of myself. Some day I’m going to be able to say “yes” to all of them, and then I’m going to know it’s all been worth it. Pixie.

• 6 Tracy Jun 12, 2006

  1. Do you exude a sense of support and compassion with others? I hope I do – I certainly mean to. I have had many experiences where friends and family felt they could come to me for support and compassion when they needed it. What I’m now learning is how to give support when I’m not necessarily in ‘agreement’. Tricky stuff…
  2. Do others feel safe and relaxed with you? Yes, I do believe so.
  3. Are you a generally positive person? I would say on the whole I am – quite frankly it often depends on the amount of sleep I’ve had!
  4. Are you non-judgmental with yourself and others? That’s a tough one. I really do try to be non-judgemental, but it tends to be one thing that sneaks back into my behaviour once in a while. One thing I do know is that I feel I am aware when I am judgemental – both with myself and others. I don’t always know it at the time, but I do have that little angle on my shoulder that sure lets me know it after the fact. Then comes the introspective work – why was I behaving that way? What made those feelings so strong?
  5. Are you compassionate with your own shortcomings and try to heal them? I am trying to be, especially around my parenting.
  6. Do you feel peaceful much of the time? More and more so, yes.
  7. Are you able to let resentments go rather than harboring them? I let them go a lot easier than I did when I was younger, so I do think its a positive evolution for me. Its tough to completely let that stuff go, because resentments are a result of some deep stuff that needs to be worked on or acknowledged.
  8. Do you laugh frequently? YES! Every single day. I think I probably have a great gut laugh once a week too!
  9. Are you kind to your family, friends and people you don’t know well? I try to be. Every day I try try try to be, and most times I think I do succeed.

• 7 Linda S. Williams Jun 12, 2006

  Positive Energy
  DO YOU HAVE POSITIVE ENERGY? from Judith Orloff’s Positive Energy

  I think I can say yes to most of the questions for most of the time.

  As a trainer/teacher Positive Energy is a must. I always strive to reach each of the steps you’ve outlined here. There are times when I have a particularly difficult group that I find myself slipping away… giving too much of myself to them, so that when it’s just ME again, I have to reground and find that positive energy to use on myself.
  For this I turn to the wise words of other positive people. Teachers need teachers… and I find Jennifer and Suzanne a big help, as well as Wayne Dyer, and many other. Keep writing those books and making those audios! they all help!

  Linda

• 8 IRENE Jun 13, 2006

  Positive Energy
  DO YOU HAVE POSITIVE ENERGY? from Judith Orloff’s Positive Energy

  1. Do you exude a sense of support and compassion with others?
  YES, BUT SOMETIMES I WONDER IF IT IS TOO MUCH FROM MY SIDE AND TOO LITTLE FROM THE OTHERS. STILL, I WOULDN’T PREFERE IT THE OTHER WAY ROUND.

  2. Do others feel safe and relaxed with you?
  YES. SOMETIMES IT IS TIRING , SOMETIMES IT FEELS WONDERFUL TO KNOW THAT I AM ABLE TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL THEIR NEEDS ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF.

  3. Are you a generally positive person?
  YES AND NO. YES, I TEND TO BELIEVE IN PEOPLE’S ESSENTIAL GOOD-NESS. NO, MY MIND FEELS WITH BLACK THOUGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET, OF HUMANITY, OF THE SELFISHNESS AND ABANDONMENT OF PEOPLE ALL AROUND US.

  4. Are you non-judgmental with yourself and others?
  I WAS IN THE PAST, BUT THE MORE CONFIDENT I GROW OF MY OWN CHOICES, THE LESS JUDGEMENTAL I AM OF OTHERS. IN OTHER WORDS, JUDGING MEANS NOT HAVING A LIFE OF OUR OWN.

  5. Are you compassionate with your own shortcomings and try to heal them?
  I SO OFTEN GET CAUGHT IN THEM! NOT BLAMING MY MISTAKES IS ONE THING, BUT HEALING? I DON’T REALLY KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENS.

  6. Do you feel peaceful much of the time?
  YES. I USED TO GET UPSET LIKE THE SEA IN A STORM. LATELY I HAVE BEEN SO CALM, I SOMETIMES FEEL I APPROACH APATHY. BUT THEN, WHAT ARE THOSE TEARS IN MY EYES FOR? ALL THIS RUNNING AROUND AND CHASING WHATEVER EVERYONE IS CHASING SEEMS SUCH A WASTE OF LIFE!

  7. Are you able to let resentments go rather than harboring them?
  I AM LETTING GO, MORE AND MORE. THERE ISN’T ANY OTHER WAY REALLY, TO PUSH AHEAD.

  8. Do you laugh frequently?
  OH, NO! SOMETIMES I AM JOYOUS BUT WHY IS IT JUST THEN THAT PEOPLE SEEM TO PULL ME DOWN FROM MY RAINBOW CLOUD? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO PROTECT ME FROM THOSE NEEDLES BURSTING MY CLOUD?

  9. Are you kind to your family, friends and people you don’t know well?
  MOST OF THE TIME. BUT I FIND IT MORE AND MORE EXHAUSTING.
  LATELY I SOMETIMES HIDE IN THE LOO SO AS TO AVOID IMMEDIATE CONTACT WITH THE NEXT CUSTOMER WHO DEMANDS MY ATTENTION, AND SET A SPACE BETWEEN ME AND THEM. I FIND PEOPLE BECOMING MORE DEMANDING ALL THE TIME, AS IF EVERYTHING IS OWED TO THEM.
  I DO MY BEST WITH MY CHILDREN AND MY HUSBAND.
  I TRY TO AVOID ENERGY DEVOURING RELATIVES WHO MOAN ALL THE TIME ABOUT EVERYTHING CONCEIVABLE UNDER THE SUN.
  KINDNESS IS SUCH A RARE GIFT!

• 9 Toni Jun 13, 2006

  1. Do you exude a sense of support and compassion with others?
  I try to. I think most people would say yes.

  2. Do others feel safe and relaxed with you?
  I’ve been told I am. I’ve often been told after someone has confided in me that they usually aren’t open with anyone.

  3. Are you a generally positive person?
  All but one week out of the month. PMS is a downer.

  4. Are you non-judgmental with yourself and others?
  With myself, no. With others I try to be but sometimes I judge them in my mind, never to their faces.

  5. Are you compassionate with your own shortcomings and try to heal them?
  I’m not compassionate with my own but I do try to heal myself.

  6. Do you feel peaceful much of the time?
  No. Only about half the time. I’m working on that though.

  7. Are you able to let resentments go rather than harboring them?
  For the most part.

  8. Do you laugh frequently?
  Fortunatly I do and mostly at work.

  9. Are you kind to your family, friends and people you don’t know well?
  Yes.

• 10 Jennifer Louden Jun 13, 2006

  1. Do you exude a sense of support and compassion with others?

  On a good day yes, I believe I do.

  2. Do others feel safe and relaxed with you?
  More and more, I would also say yes.

  3. Are you a generally positive person?
  I have recently become aware of a subtle tendency in me toward framing things in the negative. I noticed in when writing the book. I believe this is another step toward seeing the world as a glorious gift.

  4. Are you non-judgmental with yourself and others?
  Yes.

  5. Are you compassionate with your own shortcomings and try to heal them?
  Certainly making huge progress on this one!

  6. Do you feel peaceful much of the time?
  Amazingly so.

  7. Are you able to let resentments go rather than harboring them?
  Not always. I find myself thinking about a marketing team I hired last year that I feel did not deliver anywhere near what I had hoped given what I paid them or how I can hold on to “doing more” than someone else.

  8. Do you laugh frequently?
  YES. and Loudly!

  9. Are you kind to your family, friends and people you don’t know well?
  No. I like to torture them with small barely registered jabs and personal insults that then build up until one of them goes postal on me and I barely escape. Sometimes, I wish I weren’t so kind like with the taxi driver in Seattle last Friday who ripped me off to the tune of about $10 and would not give me any change for my $20 – and I was strong and clear and he still didn’t give me change.

• 11 Mindy Jun 13, 2006

  1. Do you exude a sense of support and compassion with others?
  Yes, almost always.

  2. Do others feel safe and relaxed with you? Yes.

  3. Are you a generally positive person? Yes!

  4. Are you non-judgmental with yourself and others?

  I would love to say “yes to both,” but the truth is that I am much more non-judgmental with others than I am with myself. Although… this is changing as I evolve and grow older. I am a thousand times more kind and non-judgmental towards myself now, at the age of 34, than I was ten, fifteen, twenty years ago. A THOUSAND!

  5. Are you compassionate with your own shortcomings and try to heal them?

  I try to be… and I’m making wonderful progress!

  6. Do you feel peaceful much of the time? Mostly, yes.

  7. Are you able to let resentments go rather than harboring them? Yes, I have never been one to hold grudges (unless you’re an ex-boyfriend who really did me wrong…)

  8. Do you laugh frequently? Yes!

  9. Are you kind to your family, friends and people you don’t know well?
  Very much so.