The Top Reasons Why You Are Not Your History Or Emotions
One of the most significant challenges many encounter through their lives is learning about their emotions. Often emotions can linger or hide in the shadows of their minds unnamed, unrecognized or even buried. These emotions can cause many facets to manifest in our lives, from weight gain to anxiety, to over or underutilization of skills, such as micromanaging or being expectant of behavior without explicit communication. The biggest kicker in all of this is that we will repeat behaviors that we think we or others deserve. We use phrases such as "You should be doing this" "I should have known better" or "You sound like (insert family member)."
What we allow to persist is what will take root and slowly that is what we invite into our lives and become the growers of these seeds.
That is where the value in naming your emotions comes into play. By calling what emotions, you are feeling in your day that may cause you to have a negative swing, you can begin to remove the cover and shine a light on the shadows that often haunt us. You become a director of experiences rather than a helpless observer. Learning to recognize your power and role in your life begins with removing the objectionable haunting we bring upon ourselves. We are not our parents, the opinions of others or what anyone else has said about us. We are who we are at this very moment.
One of my pastors over the weekend elaborated on the tools of the shepherd being the rod and the staff, and how they were used to dictate the flock of sheep in the wilderness. He explained that using the rod helped him keep the sheep in place by moving them as not to contaminate the young ones with his scent so that the others would accept them. He told us that using techniques to preserve order, the shepherd could correct gently to keep even the most wandering sheep within the structure of the herd.
The question that came to mind is that while many can apply this to their spiritual lives, why don't we use this to our mental health? We act like our thoughts are something we cannot watch over, control, guide, define and if one tends to go astray that it becomes the bouncing ball of destruction, but in reality, you have always been in complete control, even if your body feels otherwise. Today's challenge for you is to define the thoughts you have and are experiencing. Even upon misinterpretation or difficulty, you can do so. If you'd like to learn how to gain clarity on these processes, then feel free to reach out to me.
I'm here to support you on your journey. If you would like to dive deeper into more of this, you can join my free course on the five pillars of life balance and wellness. In it, you will learn what certain emotions indeed point to, how they manifest, and how you can release them effectively. Every day is a learning experience, so be aware, be yourself and be remarkable.
