Sometimes Taking a Step Back is the Best Option
Being in denial isn't always a bad thing.
Recently, I’ve noticed an uncomfortable change in my behavior. When confronted with an unknown or prickly situation, my personal gatekeeper immediately pulls up a heavy drawbridge of denial.
For the life of me, I don’t remember intentionally setting this trigger. And I had to get to the bottom of it. I needed to know why my otherwise curious and open mindset was being prompted to become overly cautious — even suspicious and protective.
I began the investigation by asking myself a few questions.
What was causing me to push back against negative situations with defensive rejection? And why was I reluctant to consider an alternative perspective — one that could reveal an interesting viewpoint or lesson?
Maybe I’d subconsciously convinced myself there could be an underlying danger and to survive I’d need to use a different approach. By setting unwanted issues aside, I wouldn’t have to face them head-on — because I wasn’t mentally or emotionally ready. And until I could muster a mindset of neutrality, I’d conjured up a coping mechanism — one that denied the importance, significance, or consequences of an important situation.
At least temporarily.
The more I thought about it, the more I reasoned my provisional shield of armor might be a good thing.
If you’d like to read the full article, sign up now to become a paid subscriber and have unlimited access to Premium Content issues and archived posts!