Tolerations…you may not call them by name, but you know what they are. Thomas Leonard, the founder of coaching, described tolerations as “things you are putting up with.” Tolerations come in many different forms, including people, situations, yourself, and your environments. We all put up with stuff, so we are all tolerating. There are times when your tolerations are staring us in the face, but many will fade into the background of our subconscious where they become ingrained and expensive chatter.
The role that tolerations play in draining our energy and zest for life cannot be understated. There are immediate costs like discomfort, loss of energy and unnecessary effort. A second kind of cost of a toleration is an opportunity cost. Our body and mind are too busy dealing with our tolerations. Consequently, we miss the opportunity to be fully present and responsive to opportunities that come our way. This type of cost is impossible to measure and very expensive.
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A collection of our environmental tolerations reared their ugly head recently when we began the process of putting our house up for sale. Small repairs, crooked landscaping border, office clutter, nail holes, cupboard dings, and 99% completed projects like that one piece of unpainted trim in the bedroom… What could have been an elegant process became a list of seemingly endless projects. Ugh.
This experience has been a great reminder of the importance of freeing ourselves from environmental tolerations. There is no such thing as a little thing. Our space and our thoughts about our space can be transformed. Instead of walking in to the bedroom and having my energy go to the door frame, even for a nano-second, I can appreciate the beautiful work that transformed the room into our space. When I open a kitchen cupboard door, the wear and tear has faded to the background now that the maintenance is done.
Think of your own house, office or vehicle. What are your environmental tolerations? Can you feel the energy drain from your body when you think of them?
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Here’s the timeless question when it comes to a living or working environment: if it’s not good enough for others to see, then why is it good enough for you?
So, straighten those pictures, patch up the nail holes, clean under the kitchen sink and unclutter those closets. By giving a little bit of time each day or week to “zapping” our tolerations, we create an environment that supports us. We are all worth the effort of ridding ourselves of these tolerations in one of our most sacred environments, our home. Now, we can truly have a relaxing and restorative experience in a place that is a true reflection of the very best version of ourselves.
Now, on to my office…
Let’s help each other! What are some environmental tolerations you need to zap? OR What do you do to stay on top of your environmental tolerations?
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