Preparation for Divorce - Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Preparation for Divorce – Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Finding and Working from our Higher Selves

That’s the part of ourselves that’s more relaxed and less fearful. It’s where we make our best decisions creating outcomes that are highest and best for ourselves and the whole. We find that part of ourselves by getting quiet, through prayer and meditation, exercise, being in nature, doing something we love. Even thinking about these experiences helps to calm the emotions, opening us to intuition and higher forms of thought. It’s important to take care of yourself.

This goes for inside and outside of the negotiating space. Taking care of yourself inside the negotiation space requires taking time before the meetings to figure out what is really important to you, what you must have from this process to move forward into your future as you envision it. If you had those things, how would it feel? Sit with that and ideas will come showing how that picture will be made manifest in your life. We all do this – the professionals and the families. It creates a safe container. We become mindful when we veer from our higher selves. We remind each other.

We are all in this together. We can keep the peace if we are all accountable.

High End Goals

We start with goals for the process and for yourselves. What matters most to you? Take some time. Do this in a quiet setting with a quiet mind if at all possible.

Why did you pick a peacemaking process? What are your goals for the process?
What is it you want for your future relationship together?
What do you want for the children? What is most important?
What are your values about money? What are your priorities?
How about personal and emotional goals? How do you want to feel, during the process and afterwards?
What are your concerns about future relationships with family, friends, work?
What do you need for self -care? Balance of life?
What does a positive future look like for you? How do you want to feel?

Negotiation Is Mindful Listening to Self and Other

Negotiation is shared listening. That is, listening with attention and without judgment to the needs and goals for yourself and the other. Attention generates new, fresh thinking. Mindfulness deepens the quality of attention. This type of listening helps coherent intelligence unfold. Better ideas are the result.

We communicate with ourselves this way to unearth our dreams, wants, needs and what’s important to us. We express this to the other in an environment of mutual respect met with uninterrupted attention. This is the ideal. We can come close to it with intention, awareness and discipline. It’s not easy to do but will make the divorce easier and more fruitful. It’s a primary requirement of a peaceful process.

Practices of connecting with the heart, meditation and other activities that balance the nervous system assist in making this type of communication possible. Working with a divorce coach also helps build tolerance and gives practice in better communication to make negotiation at the table much more productive.

Brainstorming Options

When options are proposed, it’s important to consider the interests and needs of the other person as well as your own. To do this takes courage and letting go. Relaxing into a process that is not intimidating is important. Flexibility to listen to and consider options you don’t think would work or don’t think you could agree to require moving into our higher selves with dignity, patience and understanding. To listen and not react.

Deciding

Making decisions requires a lot of the same skills. Know that everything decided upon will not be comfortable. Any combination of things that constitutes a settlement will require giving up something. How flexible are you or can you be to accept what is possible or the best possible scenario for your family? How strong have you made yourself through taking advantage of practices of the heart and other techniques that lead to acceptance? Acknowledging that you have done the best you can under the circumstances and accepting the result will make a smoother transition moving forward. It will be a continual practice of releasing and sharing control. How flexible are you or can you be? Longevity and happiness require flexibility, acceptance, forgiveness and letting go.

Committing

What does it take to commit to the result and work towards honoring your agreement with good faith, good nature and willingness to adjust to a new normal? How much can you forgive the past and look forward to a future of cooperation? These are all skills that can be practiced and mastered. It’s what creates a better life for us anyway. This is an opportunity to make life smoother for ourselves and others.