“We were in the middle of discussing the Slaying the Onion process during a group session, when a curious coaching client asked, ‘When you get stuck in a conversation, and you know the other person is resistant to going into the next layer of their onion, then what?’ I realized her question was so profound, even while the group members were struggling to understand why they would even want to slay the layer without any motive or purpose. It was obvious to me then, she was ready to be an onion slayer. The onion development process actually originated when I realized so many did not know how to look in the mirror, face their fears, and challenge themselves and their so-called comfort zones. Slaying is an intense process. It requires us to delve into our hearts, minds, and souls one layer at a time.”
This excerpt from Slaying the Onion is actually about me (Hailey, Operations Specialist). Before I worked for One Light Ahead (and before the release of this book), I competed in one of April’s Master’s League Competitions where she introduced the Slaying principles to us for the first time. I was intrigued… and honestly a little confused. I had so many questions! I understood the concept of the layers, but how did it all play out in my life? I asked, “When you get stuck in a conversation, and you know the other person is resistant to going into the next layer of their own, then what?” I wanted to know how to speed through this process and just get through it. Check all the boxes, peel all the layers, find the hack, and complete the task. Turns out, this is a life-long process, and not just a task we can tick off our to-do list.
Sometimes when we’re slaying onions, trying to dig deeper and connect further, we cut through tender layers— and it’s painful. We can damage or cut off valuable relationships by jumping the gun, trying to peel layers too quickly, and overstepping others’ boundaries. Being able to determine when it’s appropriate to slice through multiple layers at once and when it’s necessary to show restraint is a honed skill that comes solely from our own experience (trial and error) and learning from the experiences of others. The important thing to remember is that this is a lifelong process, a honed skill, and necessary to take slowly— one layer at a time.
For more commitments and a deeper dive into the principles of slaying, get your copy of Slaying the Onion today!
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