It’s Eagle Season in Southwest Florida!  Last year during a bout of the flu, I became entranced, ok, obsessed with the eagle cam.  Soon after the eaglet was hatched, I moved on to April the Giraffe.  I don’t know why I am obsessed with these events; maybe it is my empty-nestedness looking for an outlet………..hundreds of mile away! It is somehow comforting and peaceful to watch the eagle pair “holds space” for each other and their young.  One of them must always be on the nest, keeping the eggs warm and protected 24/7.
  So much of our world is focused on transactional relationships.  We have even made religion into a transactional relationship with God. If I do this, then you will do that. The opposite of a transactional relationship is an interdependent relationship. This is the kind of relationship I see in these eagles and in many human relationships.

I found a great article on the topic. “What it means to “hold space” for people, plus eight tips on how to do it well” by Heather Plett  Here is a short version of the tips.  Please read (and share!) the entire article when you have the opportunity.

1. Give people permission to trust their own intuition and wisdom. 
2. Give people only as much information as they can handle. 
3. Don’t take their power away. 
4. Keep your own ego out of it. 
5. Make them feel safe enough to fail
6. Give guidance and help with humility and thoughtfulness. 
7. Create a container for complex emotions, fear, trauma, etc. 
8. Allow them to make different decisions and to have different experiences than you would. 

 
I find it interesting that 3 of the 8 begin with the word “GIVE”.  The opportunity we have this holiday season is to begin a practice of “holding space” for others.  Even in “transactional” relationships we can choose to transmute that relationship into one that is interdependent; a relationship where we ultimately hold space for each other.
 
Many blessings to you and your family this holiday season and sincere thanks given to you for your engagement in the Tuned In Coaching Community.
 
In the Spirit of Strengths,
 
Jennifer