The Trailogy of the Emotional Sherpa® #3 In My Backpack I will Bring…
In my Backpack I will bring…..
1. Map and compass (GPS if you are a techi) – check
2. Rain Gear – check
3. Change of clothes (hat) – check
4. Toothbrush – check
5. Sunscreen – check
6. Music – check
7. Iphone with solar charger – check
8. Journal and pen – check
9. PocketCPR app – check
10. Water and food – check
The Emotional Sherpa is big into Checklists. It comes from his early scout years when he’d forget things. Being on a solo journey, he knows there’s no opportunity to fill in the blanks for long stretches of time.
The Sherpa read theSKIMM before leaving for the trail last week and learned it was Heart Failure Awareness Week. It’s been years since he took a Basic CPR course so he downloaded the app called PocketCPR.
As you recall from the last post, the Emotional Sherpa has a tendency to “take care” of people, or try to prevent them from hurting in any way. It’s being too good at caring for our loved ones. Yet, there is a time and place where we have an obligation to take care of someone’s heart. It’s when it stops ticking. Taking care of a fellow hiker in distress is another type of heart intervention. All hikers (and I mean all) need to know the basic skill of heart revival. I’m talking about the heart as an organ. On the other hand, in relationship with fellow hiker’s hearts, it’s not our job to keep their hearts healthy and happy. Each of us is responsible for our own hearts.
Our heart is an organ, and the center of our soul. That’s where the Emotional Sherpa gets tangled up in blue when he loves so much he carries the weight of others when that’s not how our hearts are meant to work.
Here’s some Tips from the Trail to ponder this conundrum.
1. Listen to the Bee Gees song “Staying Alive.” It’s the tempo you need to maintain to keep blood pumping through a ticker that ain’t ticking.
2. Compress like you are The Hulk! It’s all about compression.
3. Take a basic CPR course at your local Fire Department. You never know when you need to help a distressed hiker, be it on the golf course, grocery store, or in the back country. It’s a skill you will not regret having in your wheelhouse.
4. Notice if and when you try to solve your loved one’s problems. Learning “reflective listening” can transform a relationship. When you can parrot back what someone says to you, they know you really heard them. Try it. Here’s an example:
Mary: ” I had a really bad day at work today.”
John: ” You had a really bad day at work?”
Mary: ” Yeah, I can’t stand Molly. She always looks me up and down and comments on my outfit.”
John: ” She looks you up and down and comments on your outfit?”
Here’s where it’d be easy for John to shut down Mary’s venting to solve the problem. John could say – “just ignore her. You let her get under your skin.” For a change of pace, try to reflect back and not solve. Mary already knows what to do. She’s just needing John to hear her out.
Oops! The Emotional Sherpa forgot his tent and sleeping bag, and bug juice! Yikes! How will he deal with that?
Happy trails as you continue on your life journey today. Allison
