180 SECRETS OF SHAMANISM
Heart people can get into trouble with their sentimental-
ity and the subjectivity of their feelings. Sometimes they mis-
take sentiment for genuine perception and as a result are
totally inaccurate in their conclusions. They may have
blocked off the roads to the head and, as a result, find them-
selves unable to understand their situation. In addition, they
can cut off avenues to the gut, where action arises, so that
they get stuck wallowing in emotion without moving on to
something new.
How TO DEAL WITH HEART PEOPLE
- First, allow the heart person time to express feelings first,
whether or not they make any sense to you. Then gradu-
ally move them toward more objectivity by asking perti-
nent questions and creating a verbal structure.
- Help the person focus on the power and strength of their
lower bodies, especially their legs. This helps to ground
them into that part of their body that supports concrete
action and limits chaotic emotional reactivity.
- Give up trying to get a heart person to follow a well-
thought-out set of instructions or organized plan. They ei-
ther won't, out of rebellion, or they simply can't do it, and
you will bring on an unpleasant incident if you force the
issue. Do, however, get them to give you a deadline for
work completed. Get everything in writing.
- Trust heart people when they get an immediate hunch or
sense. They are probably right even if it seems crazy to
you.
- Heart people are great artists and poets. Always use meta-
phors when you are explaining something to a heart person
or trying to get them to follow an activity. Better yet, use
visuals and skip a lot of the words. Heart people respond
to color, size, shape, and designs.
- Heart people are usually very good at journeying, but they
can overdramatize their experience and at times distort it.
Help them tell you exactly what happened. Help them to
show you in specific movements what actually happened.
- Heart people are wonderfully empathetic and sensitive but
can become overly identified with their own or other peo-
ple's problems. Help them see that problems are chal-
lenges and are in fact opportunities for growth.
