Someone Else’s Bathwater id taken from an early Sounds from Source practitioner document that is well worth sharing.

I questioned:

‘Would you get into someone else’s dirty bathwater’?

Generally the answer is Ohh No!

However, there are probably a few circumstances in there, eg

Your child

A Spa bath with a partner or lover

Out camping

If you grew up in an outback town where water had been scarce

Likewise an earlier time of life where often the whole family used the one tub of water beginning with Dad and finishing with the youngest family members.

However in most instances I generally hear a definitive NO, Not at All, Definitely NOT and the like.

So why then I would ask you as a practitioner do many of you ‘immerse yourselves’ in Other People’s Stuff?? Basically moving from Empathy into Sympathy.

Now if you are not a practitioner; Please do not stop reading here with a ‘Oh this isn’t for me thought’. There may well be words of wisdom that will benefit you also.

And YES, I have been guilty of it too! We often with friends, colleagues etc come from the ‘Caring friend’, rather than the professional practitioner or service provider levels.

So how on earth did I get into this subject originally?

I am blessed with having in my life some very special people, mostly women with whom I can share my innermost thoughts on many levels, both be and expect brutal honesty in return, and feel loved unconditionally. It is because of these special souls that I am able to explore a variety of thoughts feeling and ideas, and often to allow my mind full reign to delve the depths and the infinity of such thoughts feelings and ideas.

In return I am privy to their thoughts feelings and emotions and I honour and respect them for sharing them with me. Through this mutual ‘openness’ we unload or discuss many of the things which would otherwise go unsaid, basically are ‘practitioners for one another.

Generally being known in the far distant past for ‘sugar coating’ things, I have surprised a few people recently when I have either taken a harder line, or played ‘Devil’s Advocate’ I believe it is called and looked at both sides of the situation, as fairly and impartially as I am able to. It was from this space recently that I asked the, ‘ Would you get into someone else’s dirty bathwater?’ question.

And following the’ Well, NO ‘ answer,  to the demand  of, ‘Well if not , then why would you take on their troubles’, and ‘isn’t it time you let them go’. Harsh stuff from me indeed, however it needed to be said and with the level of firmness that accompanied it. The old adage of ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink’ fits well in here. We can offer advice which may well fall on deaf ears if the listener is not prepared to hear it, we can also be our own worst enemy, and I will put my hand up here.

As I am sure we are all aware that although a person may express a wish for a solution, they may well have a vested interest in the situation remaining as is, or in some instances ‘negate’ the outcome or solution for their own often unidentifiable means.

I have always asked silently ‘Will this body accept a correction” at the beginning of a session, and more recently I have added to that question to now become:

‘Will this body accept a correction” and ‘Will this body continue to utilise this correction” for its highest good.?

If  as a practitioner you get a Negative response to the first part of your question then I suggest strongly that you ascertain WHY the body will not accept a correction before going further with a treatment or session of any kind.

Eg is the client/ person there with you because someone else thinks / believes that they should be!

Do they have an innate ‘disbelief” in anything that is not ‘Mainstream Medical’?

An acceptance of the correction at the time and a negation of its effects and positive ongoing benefits brings a few things to mind.

Does this person have an advantage or a purpose in being ‘Unwell”? Or believe that they do not deserve to be well?

Even Negative attention is attention.

And the Most important relationship WITH YOURSELF, Are YOU affecting YOU??

Do you believe in yourself as a person or a practitioner, are you holding yourself back through fears, lack of belief in yourself or the services that you offer, or even something deeper.

How often do we not allow understanding, acceptance of ourselves, or base our beliefs on ‘fear of failure based on past performance’.

The ask better questions and get better answers may well fit here also.