Define what a Should Shield looks and feels like to you.

I define a Should Shield as the shoulds stacked against us, and the shoulds we stack against others.

Make a list of the “Should Shields” you stack against others.

Ouch, this one might make you sweat! Should Shields are a two way street. We give some, we get some.

It’s a fact of life. But if we’re going to shine the light on what we feel others are stacking against us, then we need to get honest about what we’re stacking against others.

Prompts #15, 16, and 17 had you defining what a “Should Shield” looks like, and what it feels like to give and receive. Now take a moment, even read through what you wrote, think about what you would feel like, how would you behave, act/react, and live without the many “Should Shields” that surround you.

Go through an entire day with no “Should Shields,” either giving or receiving. Describe the experience of the day and how did it make you feel?

It sounds easier said than done. Here are some examples of Should Shields (SS) - SS that you might give yourself, SS that we might give to our kids, and SS that you might feel from someone else.