Make sense of emotions
Friday, April 6, 2012 at 11:26PM Notice how emotions unfold in your life, how you react or respond to the world around you. Notice where emotions come from. Track them back to see how they arise. Sense how, why they build up. What do they teach you? What do they invite you to see within yourself?
Notice how you respond to others as they confront you, get emotional or remain indifferent toward you. Eleanor Roosevelt reminds you that nobody can intimidate you without your consent. If you do not choose to be afraid, then fear cannot touch you. The apparent reasons for fear cannot last unless you believe in them and allow them to control your thoughts.
Notice whether you allow your emotions to escalate and affect your health and well-being or, whether you observe quietly, respond slowly and calmly, to whatever unfolds in your life. What if its all a test? To respond without anxiety or agitation is to exhibit what peace is all about. You help others to know peace as you respond from this state of being yourself.
Why is it do you figure that people often focus on negative emotions and complaints? It comes back to creating unskillful thought patterns. Each of us has a choice to be mindful and to understand the origins of our thoughts and emotions. If you are angry or afraid, ask why. Every emotion is a pointer to the only emotion heart knows- unconditional love.
Consider that you always have opportunities to respond differently to comments and behaviours than you are taught. Be aware of emotional triggers and conditioned habits that do not serve you. Fear and anger flow away as you view them as the teachers they are. Be aware that peace is itself an emotion that empowers and inspires you, come what may.
"Everytime you allow someone to trigger a negative emotion or anger or ill will, you do not have to follow that path. Why do you get angry? Anger arises from a series of agitations you think about or dwell upon. Anger is like a fire. It starts like a spark. If you catch it quickly, its easy to put out. Through your mindfulness, awarenss and mental training, it is not hard to transcend emotions like anger, frustration and grief. Its not a training of will power, but of wisdom power to see where things come from so you can catch them earlier." -Ajahn Brahm