Persuasion and Spirit

So we’ve discussed the first six steps of the “Persuasion” framework from Robbins-Madanes training. Partially as a mnemonic, and partially because I feel the connections, I relate each to one of the seven chakras:

1. Muladhara. Core survival. Understand their world, especially how their perspective relates to pain and pleasure.
2. Svahasthana. Sexuality. Build rapport, CONNECTION. RESPECT. Then, from that place, inquire deeply into their dreams, goals, wants and needs. You are looking for LEVERAGE. What turns them on? What causes them pain?
3. Manapura. Power and physical mastery. Here you look to interrupt their negative patterns, emotional death-spirals. The fastest way to do this is to change their physiology. For instance: if they are sedentary, take them for a walk while you talk to them.
4. Anahata. Heart chakra. The home of love and hate, faith and fear. You must define their problem in solvable terms, terms that they can FEEL will lead them to pleasure rather than pain. NO ONE will voluntarily take an action they believe will increase the overall pain in their lives. So if they don’t believe they can do something, the notion of making an effort just feels like more pain. If you are trapped in a burning house and cannot see a door, you might just huddle in a corner and pray for rescue, or wait to die. But if you CAN see the door, and a plausible path to it, and believe your legs will carry you…you are hard-wired to move.
5. Vishuddhi. Communication and learning. It is critical…