Have you ever met someone, engaged in conversation, and felt as though he or she was talking to your soul?  If you haven’t yet, I hope you get to experience that someday.  It’s incredible.

I met someone like that the other day when I was out and about with my coworkers.  We ended up talking a lot about our individual journeys, the ups and downs we’ve experienced over the years, and how painful emotional interactions with other human beings have affected our sense of self.  And sometimes even our souls.

Side note: It’s funny how we all share similar life experiences without ever realizing it.  Regardless of where we come from, how much money we make, etc., we’re all on a journey, we’ve all experienced the good and the bad life has to offer, and we’ve all lived through painful emotional relationships.

This woman we were with shared a really creative, spiritual, and simple metaphor that changed how I’m going to deal with the people in my life going forward.  Because let’s face it, sometimes the people we love*** put us through some trying times, and you can’t just say adios and walk away.  And sometimes you want to take the higher road and not engage in an argument.

So, she said that when someone in your life puts you through emotional pain, you have to anticipate it coming, and put on a [figurative] pain blocking raincoat beforehand.  This raincoat will help ensure that whatever comments, looks, etc. are thrown your way don’t penetrate any deeper than they need to.  The droplets will slide right off.  And when you’re done being around this individual, you have to leave the raincoat behind.  You don’t take those emotions with you because they DO NOT belong to you.  While you can’t avoid painful interactions, life is too short and too sweet to be taking on the negative energy of others.  And that is exactly why you have an extra raincoat on hand at all times!

Stylish figurative raincoats are a must!

I thought this way of thinking was absolutely genius.  And I kid you not, as she was talking to us about this and many other things, I felt something shift inside of me.  Pretty soulful stuff!

Happy Friday!

***When I refer to people in this post, I’m not talking about relationships/pain that is ongoing and constant.  I’m referring to those individuals you see and interact with occasionally.