Feed the monsters

I was talking with my professor today and I mentioned a particularly “interesting” meeting I’d just concluded. In the meeting, it was clear to me who didn’t like who, and vice versa… the level of unspoken/unacknowledged animosity seemed like an elephant in the room.

My professor said something genius like “All you can see are the monsters…” She described that some grumpy folks, for whatever reason–insecurity, pride, what have you–carry around a monster on their shoulders. Instead of being the real (vulnerable) them, they hide behind a crotchety facade. “The key,” my professor said, “Is to feed the monster. Get it to go away so you can see the real person who is probably kind and wonderful on the inside.”

Of course, she acknowledged, feeding the monster takes time and patience. (Things I have oh-so-much of at the present time.)

And so, I’ll throw it back to you… how do YOU feed the monsters?

xoxo,
shawna