In my coaching, I use the analogy of a water bottle to illustrate our challenging life experiences. The water represents the experiences and emotions and feelings from them; the trauma, the hurt, the pain, the uncomfortableness.

Everyone has water bottles. Some are partially full, some are completely full, and some are overflowing. Some have even created an ocean in overflow!

Everyone has a choice about how and when to empty their water bottles. Some choose to ignore the water and pretend it doesn’t exist. The challenge with this is that eventually the water spills out; eventually the water bottle bursts. We see the result of burst water bottles  every single day in the news and in our own relationships.

This past summer my husband and I were flying into Holland. As we were about to land, I picked up my water bottle and clicked the button to open the spout…and got a shower I was not expecting–and so did the people sitting next to me and behind me! I was so embarrassed and so taken by surprise!

The pressure in my water bottle had built and built due to the elevation changes of our flight.

So, too, when we ignore the pressure in us, the reason doesn’t matter. Eventually we will “burst.” Eventually we will have to face the fact that we just got water on everyone around us…Eventually the real cost of ignoring what’s inside will show up.

I invite you to explore the water in your water bottles.

It matters!