May 21, 2019
Whenever people talk about intimacy, their minds tend to drift automatically towards the sexual kind. However, there is so much more to intimacy than just the physical aspects — and the fact that so many people seem unaware of it means that now more than ever, it’s important to talk about it. After all, it is only through openness and being willing to listen that we achieve true intimacy, whether it’s with our acquaintances, our friends, our family, our significant others, and even ourselves. And so, before learning about how to handle and facilitate intimacy within our relationships, we must first understand what it is and what it requires.
Today, I share my thoughts on intimacy, focusing specifically on the need to be open and ready to listen with empathy in order to make it possible. I discuss the importance of being intimate with yourself, and how that opens the gateway to being intimate with the people you value most in your life. I share my personal experiences and stories regarding various kinds of intimacy over the years such as with clients, a colleague I hadn’t spoken to for a while, my family, and even with my pet. I also share the crucial aspects of intimacy and listening with empathy, and why intimacy requires a certain level of courageousness before it can happen.
“That is what fuels intimacy: An open heart of compassion, of empathy, of being moved by the world and by each other.” - Pripo Teplitsky
This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:
- Intimacy with others and with yourself.
- The importance of being genuine before you can be intimate with yourself.
- My recent interesting encounter with an old corporate colleague.
- The people I meet during the course of my professional career, and how intimacy plays a role in those encounters.
- Creating intimacy with your family, and its role in helping you be at peace.
- The difference between physical intimacy and emotional intimacy.
- How intimacy leads to our liberation.
- My experience at a memorable and unique workshop experience with my cousin.
- Taking risks to be intimate with others.
- Embracing self-compassion and self-appreciation.
- How my emotional bond with my father was forged through physical intimacy from a very young age and how it established the foundation for my perspective on intimacy today.
- Our tendency to be passive listeners to our partners and how it becomes a barrier to intimacy.
- The two crucial ingredients of listening with empathy.
- Intimacy with animals and the feeling of connecting with another species.
- The impact of being open to having an open heart and being vulnerable and present with your partner.
- How the poem, The Invitation, helps couples who are unsure about the level of intimacy they desire.
Resources Mentioned:
- Creating Extraordinary Intimacy in a Shutdown World - Michael J. Russer’s TEDx Talk
- The Invitation - poem by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Let’s Talk About It!
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Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk
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