Beyond Blame: Holding the Hot Potato

by Scott Noelle

In the Hot Potato game, players are quick to pass the “potato” to someone else for fear of getting stuck with it when the music stops. But what if one player was willing to hold the hot potato and not pass it on? The game would end!

You can end the blame game the same way...

Improve Your Groove

Today, identify your “hot potatos” and use the skill you learned in the previous post to hold presence with them.

You know you’ve caught a hot potato when you’re thinking judgmental thoughts and/or feeling the tension that accompanies them. You might notice your brow furrowing. Being mindful of these sensations is key.

Once you’re aware that the hot potato (negative feeling or judgment) is in your hands, it’s time to pull on your oven mitts and hold presence with the emotional “heat” until it cools down.

Notice the compulsion to offload the negativity through blame, but stay with it. If you keep your heart open, a new perspective will be revealed, and the wrongness will vanish.

...Really!

Originally published on 2015-03-03
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