Emotional Freedom: What a Sink Full of Dishes Taught Me

Dear lovely humans,

I’ve just spent two weeks in Melbourne training a group of exceptional women in NLP. I was staying in a small serviced apartment, and over a few days, I noticed a quiet pattern forming. A coffee cup left from the morning, a breakfast bowl, then a dinner plate, each waiting to be washed later. It didn’t seem like much at first, just a few dishes for one person. But by day three, the little sink was full, and suddenly it felt like too much.

I smiled to myself, because in that moment, I realised the sink was teaching me the same lesson I’d been sharing all week.

Our emotions work in much the same way. The small things we leave unattended, the irritation we brush off, the sadness we avoid, the guilt we tell ourselves to move past, they quietly stack up. Over time, they fill our inner space, leaving little room for calm, clarity, or joy.

Each day of training, as these women explored their thoughts and emotions, it was like washing one dish at a time. Each discovery revealed what had been hiding underneath, the patterns and beliefs that had been sitting there, waiting to be acknowledged and released.

I remember my first date. I was 14 years old, and in the lead-up to the date, I told my mum I felt nervous. She smiled and said, “You know, nerves and excitement feel exactly the same; it just depends on how you want to look at it.”

Those words have stayed with me. They remind me that we always have a choice in how we interpret what we feel. Like the dishes, we can choose to see emotions as clutter, or as a chance to clean, clear and begin again. This is how we live in emotional freedom.

That’s where one of my favourite NLP tools comes in, reframing with curiosity. When something feels heavy or uncomfortable, pause and ask yourself:

“What else could this mean?”

“What might this emotion be trying to show me?”

Curiosity softens judgment. It allows us to see meaning where we once saw mess, and possibility where we once saw pain. It’s not about pretending everything feels good; it’s about staying open long enough to understand it differently.

Every time I teach NLP, I see this shift happen. People realise they are not the overflowing sink; they’re the ones in control of the tap. They can decide what to rinse off, release, what to hold onto, and how to create space for something new.

So, if things feel heavy right now, start small. One dish. One thought. One feeling. Clean it with curiosity, rinse it with compassion, and give yourself permission to breathe again.

If this message speaks to you and you’d like to explore how NLP can help you find that same freedom in how you think, feel, and lead, I’d love to connect.

Book a call with me, and let’s continue sharing the stories that change narratives, create space for healing, and bring calm back to where it belongs: within you.

With warmth,

Vikki.

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In this blog, I've shared just a glimpse of a few NLP concepts and techniques. If this sparks your curiosity and you'd like to explore more, or even consider becoming an NLP Practitioner yourself, we'd be delighted to welcome you to our in-person NLP certification training. Our next sessions are scheduled to run in Sydney in November and December 2025.

Click here to learn more about our NLP Certification Training and secure your place.

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