Psychology of allowing people in

I’m in a networking group, and with that comes lots of education on marketing yourself. What I thought was natural for me has risen to the surface in a new form, now reaching out for my attention. It’s all about personal boundaries.

There is a lot of discernment required in deciding who you are in the face of the public. Your identity—the one you feel comfortable articulating to others—matters. This can be different from the one you show to your close friends. It can be different from the one you see from in your mind’s eye as you watch a flower petal float down a creek in a meditation.

It’s important for me to connect with people who know how to listen, know how to pause… Met with a face of judgment while I’m mid-sentence signals my nervous system to stand guard. That’s not trust. And so too are the qualities of humility, authenticity, calmness and sense of commitment.