Bending Over Backwards Line

Bending Over Backwards Line

In the hand print posted here, see the line that curves down off the heart line? The heart line is the one closest to the fingers.

It's not a usual pattern to see an extra line bending away from the heart line so this is a special marking. When that happens, the owner of this line 'bends over backwards' to meet the needs

of other people at their own expense. Another way to phrase this is that the owner of this line might 'rearrange' his or her emotional state to take care of another's emotional state.

For example, if Joan owns this bending over backwards line, she may choose not speak her feelings to her husband when he says something hurtful. Instead, internally she 'rearranges' her own feelings to take care of his by telling herself, "He's tired. He didn't really mean to hurt my feelings."

Or Bill may own this line and feels uncomfortable saying out loud that he's tolerating his son's ranting when what Bill wants really is to tell his son to quiet down, that the ranting isn't going to get him what he wants. Bill rearranges his own emotional states, bends over backwards to not hurt his son's feelings or risk more anger. But the cost to Bill is stuffing his feelings.

On the master path, recognizing you are not speaking up, not speaking from your heart, rearranging your emotional state is a benefit. Then you can choose: do you take the risk to speak your heart or let somebody else's emotional needs take precedence over yours?