Manipulation

She looked at me with fierce intensity.

“You are really talented” she said. 

“Thank you” I responded, holding her intense eye contact. 

“There are very few people who I could have heard that from” she said.

I nodded while maintaining the intensity of the energy that she was meeting with me.

“I would have walked out that door” she said as she pointed to the door and broke eye contact. I felt my body relax as she softened her energy. “I really needed to hear what you just said to me”.

I nodded as I held her, energetically, and I felt her let go of the control that she had been holding inside of her body.

“You created a safe space for me. You told me that I am being manipulative and there was no judgment from you, not an ounce which is the only reason that I could hear you” she said. 

“I am not judging you” I replied. 

“I know. You met me with truth, honesty and compassion” she said. 

I smiled at her. Not only did she have a high IQ, she also had a very high emotional IQ. She moved through the world with fierce intensity, she was a force to be reckoned with and we both knew it. As I had found comfort in who I was, it allowed me to find comfort with who everyone else was too. There was no part of her that I was scared of. Not her intelligence. Not her fierceness. Not her empowerment. Not her manipulation. 

“I have work to do on myself” she said as she looked down and I watched a small amount of shame wash over her. 

“We all do” I responded. “Be grateful that you are willing to do this deep work, not everyone has the internal resources to be able to look at themselves with this level of honesty” I answered. 

“I will do this work” she said as she looked back into my eyes.

“I have zero doubt about that” I replied.