Beyond Consequences and Contemplative Education

I was having a delightful conversation yesterday with Leslie Potter about Beyond Consequence, when there was a knock on my office door.  Evidently there was a child who was "disregulated" (I haven't quite wrapped my mind around that descriptive term or the phrase "Beyond Consequences" itself, but that's for another blog time!), and so I had the chance to "walk the talk", with Leslie there to observe!  I had an interesting interaction with this child,  though it was certainly a challenge as it usually is with these occurrences.

Today Leslie e-mailed me her detailed observations of my five minute interaction.  She saw when I had a connection with the child and exactly when the child shifted away; her analysis was very accurate and helpful.  And then today, after I re-read her e-mail, it occurred to me:  we're looking closely at what is, both with what we're feeling inside, with what is happening outside, and with what the child seems to be feeling inside.   By looking closely, with knowledge and empathy, we are able to start seeing clearly what is and what we need to do.  It's all there.  Usually our habitual patterns obliterate our resting in this space.  It takes insight, compassion, training,and patience, but it is possible.  We can show up!