This post was originally published on the Seraph’s Quill.
Hello there, dear friend!
This post is a little late being published. It’s been a really busy day here. I did want to pop in, though. (I haven’t forgotten about you! How could I? Yes! You’re that special to me and in general. *grins*)
How has the energy felt for you lately?
The past couple of days I’ve noticed I’ve been feeling run down, drained, and more than just a little emotional, and there’s seemingly no real explanation for it. That was until I spoke with others in our spiritual community here today.
They’re feeling it as well. (Good to know I’m in such good company, at least.)
How about you?
The full moon was a couple of days ago… That could very well be it!
Why, though, do we feel we need to explain it? So we can “fix” it?
I know that tends to be my SOP – my standard operating procedure. “Let’s figure out what’s at the heart of this feeling so we can get rid of it.”
Yesterday, my new friend Latrelle Ross from latrelleross.com shared her thoughts about emotions and words. You may have already watched it as I shared it on my Facebook Page yesterday. But, in the course of her discussion, she spoke about an episode of Star Trek the Next Generation (yes, I’m a trekkie too!) she watched in which Counselor Troy told Data that “emotions are neither good nor bad”.
They just are.
The ones that we label as “negative”, often they are attempting to get our attention. “Hey! There’s something here that you need to take a closer look at.” Sometimes, though, I believe we spend a good deal of time trying to explain them away when in many cases they simply need to be experienced before dissipating on their own.
Last week, I shared with you a link to view Awake In the Dream on Gaia free. (Have you watched it yet?) Well, I watched it again with Dh this past weekend.
Admittedly, there’s just SO much in it for me to yet process!
In it, though, the woman, who is the main focus of the documentary, spoke of a moment when she was feeling anger. Instead of making up stories to support her anger, instead of placing blame, she did as Arjuna Ardagh (I believe I am crediting it correctly) suggested. She gave expression to the anger by yelling and simply moving the energy out of her body. Then, she could go on in a more happy, blissful place.
Maybe, our need to label an emotion as “good” or “bad” as well as the need to explain it is part of the process of “attaching stories to it”.
As I poked around online, looking for a quote or something to add to this post, I happened to come across a post from spiritualityandpractice.com which compliments this line of thinking perfectly.
Bringing Your Emotions to Life: Ways to Work with Five Key Emotions
In the post, the author spoke about the work of J. Ruth Gendler, author of The Book of Qualities. Essentially, what she did was personified seventy-six emotions and abstract human qualities much in the way Disney personified five emotions in the movie Inside Out. But, she then spoke to a junior high school English class about her approach to emotions and asked them to choose a quality and briefly personify it in writing.
You can read more about her experience in the post on spiritualityandpractice.com as well as an exercise you can do in your journal or to address and work with specific emotions.
Ah, the journal! Such a wonderful tool!
What do you think? I would love for you to share your thoughts and perspective with regard to emotions and working with them in the comments below.
Until next time, dear friend, be well! <3
~D
#gentlevisibilityblogfest, Day Three
So true. I used to struggle with my anger, too. Well in fact is was more of a repressed resentment that would have wanted to be anger. But I didn’t let it. It took me quite a while and a not so good incident that I finally realized that I had to face the source of it. A book helped me a lot with it: Language of emotions by Karla McLaren. It’s the first time that I encountered the notion that there are no “bad” emotions, just messages we need to hear, some are labeled positive, some negative, but they are equally important and valuable. Karla analyses the typical message in each of them, anger, hate, fear, jealousy, etc. And, just as you say, she keeps pointing out that the emotion in question just dissipates on its own once we acknowledge it without judgment.
Oh, gosh, yes! Me, too, with the anger. I must confess, though, that I didn’t have the best role models with regard to expressing emotions when I was growing up. My mother was a volcano waiting to erupt most times and my dad seemingly suppressed all emotion. lol
I love the sound of the book you spoke of. I ought to check it out sometime.
Thank you for sharing! <3
I think you might like the book, given that I had similar role models, just in reverse.
Definitely a huge difference between repressing or excusing our emotions and expressing them and releasing them! I totally agree that there are no bad emotions, they are there for a reason, and when you work with your emotions, you can start to harness them in ways that help you instead of hindering you.
Yes! Most definitely!
I’m getting more intelligent about emotions. Still working on it, though. lol
I love emotions because I love the human experience. When I am feeling an emotion that society tends to look upon as “bad,” a fun game I like to play is: “What is the main core reason that I am feeling this way?” And my Whole Self shows me the reason. The acknowledgement is so often just what the emotion itself is longing for. When it is seen for what it truly is, it then processes through at a much faster rate and does not fester. All energies, emotions included, just want to be seen. Witnessed. Loved. Thank you so much for this wonderful post!
Thank you so much for your comment and your thoughts on the matter. Definitely gives me something to “chew on” further. <3
Wonderful! Thanks for the “shout out” – ha!
I’ve learned from healing that they must be felt — I’m like everyone else who commented – I engage – and when I allow them to express themselves — and just see it as that – an expression of something that needs to be tended to or released — they don’t have power – they just are.
Again – such a lovely post – thank you 🙂
You’re most welcome! Have to give inspiration the credit it’s due. 😉
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Definitely like having more to process. <3