EP 134: Discovering Your True Genius, Embracing All Emotions, and The Upper Limit Problem with Gay Hendricks

In this episode, Kimberly and Gay discuss his revolutionary term “upper limit problem,” which describes when a person’s capacity for feeling positive emotions is immediately followed by conflict or a dip. They also discuss how Gay discovered this phenomena and his life’s work regarding relationship building, aligning oneself with pure consciousness, and his passion for helping people discover their “genius” or true creativity. Gay discusses his experience being a thought leader of transformational psychology early in academia and mainstream culture and his thoughts on being an elder in today’s society.

 

 

Gay Hendricks is a psychologist, author of forty books (including “The Big Leap” and “Conscious Loving”), teacher, and therapist on all things regarding relationships and body-mind transformation. He received his PhD from Stanford University in Counseling Psychology and taught for twenty years at University of Colorado. With his wife, Dr. Kathleen Hendricks, he founded The Hendricks Institute where they coach teachers and conduct workshops on relationships and wellness. They have been featured in a number of radio and television shows as well as many conferences and seminars.

 

 

What He Shares:

--Gay’s personal awakening in mid 20s

--The Upper Limit Problem

--The Genius Zone

--Embracing all emotions and opening towards pure consciousness

--Relationships for mutual healing

--Discovering your true genius and creativity

 

 

What You’ll Hear:

--Describes beginning of academic career from PhD studies to professorship

--Negative fantasy that caused worry despite feeling good and being successful

--Growing up overweight and body image issues with dieting

--Turning point moment of pure consciousness recognized blocking of negative emotions with food

--Opening significant new territory within ourselves is major life event

--Upper limit problem occurs when intense feelings of goodness are followed by intense feelings of not feeling good (reached upper limit)

--Upper limit problem in relationship

--Societal upper limit problem from 60s-70s

--Expanding with fear instead of contracting with it

--Pay-off is living in peaceful flow of positive energy within relationships

--Steady relationship, not a lot of ups and downs

--Zero-criticism relationships

--Criticism as attack on your being instead of actions

--Become masters of fear and moving through waves of fear

--Staying open to the collective with hearts open not closed towards others’ suffering

--Sitting in pleasure without spiritual by-passing, using pleasure to heal trauma

--New book describing extension of upper limit problem

--How to feel flow and connection all the time

--Creativity important in relationships for individuals to grow “your genius”

--Everybody has same desire inside to bring forth their “genius,” their true creativity

--Finding genius in relationship

--Pre-order copy of upcoming book

--Being an elder in our culture

--Planning for what you want in older age

--Choosing creativity instead of stagnation; Choosing integrity instead of despair

--Experience being a thought leader and academic in New Age time from 1960s-70s to now

--Leaving his legacy

Resources

Website https://hendricks.com/

IG: @hendricks.gay