05: Balancing Emotional Support: Navigating the Ego and Authenticity

Holistic Men

Better Reflections: Finding Balance in Emotional Support

In this episode, I dive into the nuances of emotional support and how to strike the right balance. I've experienced both sides - being overly supportive to the point of enabling, and being brutally honest to a fault. The key is finding that sweet spot where you validate the person's perspective, while also providing honest feedback in a caring way.

I break down the difference between supporting someone's ego versus supporting their growth. The ego isn't inherently bad - it's just the construct of our personality. But we have to be mindful of when the ego is creating disharmony. It's about meeting the person where they're at and delivering tough truths only when invited and in a safe space.

This is a topic I'm still working on myself, so I'm sharing my thought process openly. I want to become a more genuinely supportive person, because I know that when I improve myself, I start to see better reflections in the world around me. After all, we have to "be the change we wish to see."

If you've struggled with providing the right kind of emotional support to your loved ones, I think you'll find a lot of value in this episode. Be sure to subscribe and share it with someone who could use a little guidance in this area. I'm always striving to be a better version of myself, and I hope this helps you do the same.