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Josh Slocum's avatar

I am so grateful for you and your writing. You teach things I did not know I needed to learn, but then I read you and I realize that part of me knew the truth you're telling all along. It's hard to put this into accurate words. Thank you.

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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

This is high praise Josh and I’m so glad this writing resonated with you. Thank you!

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Barbara Wegner's avatar

We all seem to be afraid to feel our emotions (such as the fear of rejection). We feel as if we will cease to exist if we get rejected. I'm glad to be following and reading articles and such from people who are attempting to do this (feel the uncomfortable feelings to reach a better experience for all involved). It gives me hope that we can have more authentic relationships with each other in our society.

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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

Thank you so much @Barbara Wegner! I’m glad it resonated with you and speaks to your values of personal responsibility. I hope this is a small contributor to helping people build harmonious relationships.

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Anna Runkle's avatar

Wow. You’ve put into words a phenomenon liberation cycle) I’ve experienced over and over in my life- I’m pretty sure much more than the average person. And just when I thought my role and function were settled, I may be forced into liberation once more. I had begun to suspect the paradigm shedding is so dramatic with me not because I’m flighty, but because my purpose is meaty and can only develop this way. Your article gives me comfort in a time of fear and the urge to “do something.” More than anything, I crave peace. Thank you for your enlightened, no bullshit perspective.

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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

Thanks so much @Anna Runkle for reading. I’m glad it resonated and had a comforting effect.

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Holly MathNerd's avatar

This is very helpful. I too tend towards filling silence with other people. This is partly because I live alone and hanging out in person with people I enjoy is comparatively rare in my life. I *hate* driving home thinking of things I wanted to bring up, but didn't. It's a good reminder to trust that every conversation isn't the last. There will be more and I don't have to fit everything in this time.

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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

Thanks for reading Holly! Trusting that whatever needed to be discussed and shared was enough is a challenge for quick thinking, intelligent people. I don’t think I could have become ok with pregnant pauses without significant training in group facilitation. Now I intentionally use pauses to get people to think and formulate their ideas in a workshop and in a conversation before speaking (which helps me do the same) but it felt unnatural for a long time.

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Susannah Walker's avatar

This piece arrived just when I needed to be told this - I'm just in the process of getting out of a really dysfunctional workplace and have been dealing with this by desperately running around. And I now have a terrible cold and the realisation that I need, somehow, to stop. But I'm not very good at it.

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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

Thanks Susannah for your honest reflections. The cold gives you a break from the workplace toxicity so you can rest, recover, regain strength and plan your next move. Let yourself be sick!

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Rachel A Listener's avatar

“share some of your experiences of the Liberation Cycle and how you fend off urgency (or don’t). How did the description of the RELEASE phase land with you? “——-

Simply the Sabbath: a weekly “Stop-and-Rest”.

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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

Thank you @Rachel A Listener. Sabbath is definitely helpful to stop and reflect on the week and become aware of the sense of urgency that you can’t act on if honouring Sabbath/Shabbat.

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Kate Wand's avatar

Thank you 😊

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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

Thank YOU!!!

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Adam Chambers's avatar

Great piece! I think I find it difficult to leave silences sometimes because I have so many thoughts stuffed into my head I feel like I need to get them out. My head often feels like a Looney Tunes closet stuffed to overflowing that is going to burst.

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Elizabeth Grace Martinez's avatar

I quit listening to all news podcasts after the election and in the past few weeks, I realized I was addicted to the DRAMA of the daily news cycle. I loved the little hits my brain got from something bad happening, or feeling like I was right and the others were wrong.

I have switched over to gentler podcast listening, mostly spiritual and comedy podcasts.

I thought since I had cut out all drama in my personal life and I don't spend much time on social media, I had healed that part of me that was addicted to chaos. Apparently that just transferrd over to the news!

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