In our fast-paced world, the concept of personal space often becomes an interesting and deeply personal topic of contemplation. How do you feel about the space around you? The physical distance between you and someone else? Is there an appropriate distance around you that you feel comfortable having people within and no closer? Does it depend on their place in your life or journey? Is it something innately born into each of us as a separate and unique individual? Or is it a learned feeling or behavior that directly relates to those who raised us and took part in our formative years of developing our thoughts and feelings regarding intimacy?
I contemplate this thought daily. I have been told my entire life that I have no bubble. There is no space considered too close for others to be within. I find the closeness, the demonstrative, appropriate actions, of a hug or caress or a word of admiration, as a sign of an intimacy that I am comfortable sharing, almost needing to share, with others. If I feel it, I have the desire to share the beauty I feel with others. I want to, need to, share it with others.
I love love, and find that there are so many small ways to express this internal need to share the beauty I feel with others. Mind you, not in an inappropriate or sexual way, but in an intimate, in-the-moment, mutual way in which two people share or exchange energy.
On the opposite side of the coin is my husband, who has a very close personal space around him for me, but is physically uncomfortable when he sees people in conversation, on a television program, for example, that are speaking within inches of one another’s faces. It actually makes him, internally, very uncomfortable. He loves as I do, even as much or more than I do, but he is naturally more cautious, aware of the personal space around him.
I have found in my adult life that there are some people with large personal spaces and some with none. Neither is right or wrong. I believe that people learn their own comfort levels through the positive or negative experiences they have lived through. I believe that we should always take into consideration the similarities and differences in people’s comfort zones, and never push our beliefs or inclinations upon others. We are each different and therefore have vastly different comfort zones, which makes our world a beautiful and diverse place.
We must pay attention to the physical cues we see or feel in others before assuming that our ways of sharing a moment is an acceptable way for the other person to receive our intention in that moment. There is a time, a place. We must always respect one another’s comforts and discomforts. We must take a moment and evaluate the entire situation in the very short span of the “moment.”
How big or small is your personal space? Can you dissect this feeling and find a reason or belief that makes your space so important and valuable to you? I’m interested in your thoughts about this. No answer is right or wrong, but understanding how other people feel about this topic, I believe, will make us a more understanding and cohesive community and world.
This is my personal opinion. You may have all of it, some of it, or none of it.
I feel like when people are around you- their personal space drops down and they welcome you in and close with no concern. YOU give off the most beautiful energy that DRAWS everyone close to you, and you make them feel safe, heard, seen, and loved more than you’d ever know. You are magic momma.
Thank you honey. I am honored and blessed that you feel this way. I will continue to be my authentic self and maybe others will see and feel what you do. I would like to leave a positive piece of me, everywhere I venture to go.