Your Experience Is Your Own. The Other Person Has Their Own, Too. Here’s How Both Thrive:

I will not attempt to control another’s experience.

I got to live this the other day, and I tell you, I am having a completely different and much more elevated experience of relationship. If you have ever questioned your long-term compatibility with your spouse, a friend, or even your children, then read on.

As you may have read in last week’s post about a carbon-monoxide tester and a light-bulb, I had two flashes of insight about deep relationship:

My first Aha was that it is okay that two people so close to each other can have profoundly different interpretations of the same events. Or chapters in life. (In other words, do not be afraid of unexpected dissimilarities.)

My second Aha was that I actually have no business taking part in affecting their perception. (I do not need to accidentally attempt to control another’s experience.)

This brought to light for me a generic question of if two people can really be together, or is the relationship just surface mechanics? Can two people have a deep, spiritual connection with each other, while at the same time having sometimes very different Earthly navigation approaches?

My third Aha is Yes. A solid, constant, resounding, spiritual Yes.

The secret is in untangling yourself while being entangled.

This is a way that I can actually understand it. (Image above is linked, go check it out!)

And it all comes back to letting go of concerning yourself with how the other person is experiencing your shared moment.

When you stop trying to control another’s experience, you each can hold “opposing” perceptions on situations and yet successfully, happily be together. When you stop trying to control another’s experience, you are connected in a way that is not at either one’s expense. When you stop trying to control another’s experience, you are able to lovingly disengage yet remain even more fully present. Connection, compatibility, and contentment — not compromise at a cost.

Holy wow.

It really is that simple. Begin with this: look the person in the eye, send a beam of love from your heart to theirs, and smile as you bask in your own good-feeling of this moment. Let everything else go. How are they feeling about this? That’s none of your business.

Where today can you practice this?

My brother and I on my first day of Kindergarten, and on my high school graduation day.