hey Taylor, I don't want to be the party pooper ... but ....
Truly learning how to listen and validate is a skill that takes time to build. Really read the resources ... over and over again until they become a part of who you are and how you operate. Unfortunately, doing some things right gets 'cancelled out' very quickly by doing something wrong. Many positives can be obliterated by even a single negative sometimes ... and conversely, it can take many, many positives to override a negative. Fair? Nope. Reality? Yep.
In the beginning I thought I was giving my H space, was I? Nope. But I thought I was. I thought I was loving unconditionally, I thought I was validating, etc .... was I? NO. My intentions were good, but it takes time to understand, truly understand, the depth of some of this stuff. Now, I not saying you don't ... just that if I were you, I wouldn't be too quick to gloss over something and put a checkmark beside it - Yep, doing that!
I wish the best for you, but frankly, I share a lot of Cat's concerns. Keep doing the work, keep digging, keep reading ...
Peace PEI
Holding onto anger to punish someone else, is like lighting yourself on fire to get smoke in their eyes ~ 25yearsmlc
