David and Margaret do a take on a line from A Few Good Men, substituting “Love” for “Truth” … as in “You Can’t Handle the Love.”
The hosts are always looking for ways to learn from their own personal and spiritual journeys — and apply it to being great leaders.
David is reading author David Hawkins‘s work on consciousness energy levels, and talks about that. They connect how when we are “below the line” emotionally, we cannot, in fact, handle (or receive) love.
What’s In Your Space?
We are human beings with emotions. If we pause and notice, we might notice that we are agitated, feeling shame or guilt, or attached to being right. Then, we are in a space of “so-called” afflictive emotion (also “below the line”) where very little is possible.
“Higher level” emotions like love, compassion, joy, or peace might be better responses to the world. And fortunately, we can learn to go from the negative to these higher-level emotions.
Unable To Handle the Love
Margaret reminisced about seeing a college ex at a wedding, and remembering how hard it had been for her during that young phase of her life to receive his love.
David recalls how the inability to receive love played into his first marriage and subsequent divorce.
When we are in these afflictive spaces, we can’t receive love. It’s like dry soil in a desert that cannot absorb water and sheds the rain.
What Makes Us Open Up?
They explore how one thing that can lead to a lack of openness or receptivity is repressed emotions. Many people grow up in families that are unwelcoming of their big emotions, like grief, and teach us not to feel things. To reverse this, we have to learn how to feel our feels.
David highlighted something that works for him: bringing humor in to lighten serious situations. They discuss the importance of maintaining a balance between seriousness and lightness — and how those two things can co-exist. We can be both in a hard place and make space for a dose of humor.
Daivd talked about applying humor right now — or not taking things too seriously — especially in political discourse. David regularly finds humor and lightness help him to get out of dark depressing places and find some light.
Getting Stuck in Anger and Frustration Doesn’t Serve Us
David and Margaret tend to disagree politically and they explored where they might align.
They agree that anger and frustration, when we are stuck in and swirling in these heavy emotions, keep us from action or strategy. Staying here and getting stuck in this swirl feels like being in the soup. This is where we yell at the TV and solve nothing. But if we are able to notice our anger and frustration and use tools to climb out of this soup, we can access creativity, action and choice.
They agree that compassion for those adversely affected is a different emotional space than anger or resentment.
They also touched on (and agree about) the importance of curiosity in understanding complex situations.
Emotional Growth and Perspective Shift
They discussed David Hawkins’s strategies (as well as the tools taught in the PQ Program, which they offer to clients) for moving from negative emotions to a more positive state. The key qualities to reach for are awareness, courage, neutrality, willingness, and acceptance. Many people stay in the negative emotions, or “below the line,” because it is familiar and comfortable. These qualities help us shift perspective and break free from familiar but harmful patterns.
Margaret and David encourage listeners to practice noticing their emotions, questioning their triggers, and accepting what they can and cannot control, while offering their support to those seeking to make positive changes in their lives.