2023-03-09 Emotions

One of my personal mantras of late is to live in the world of experience rather than the world of thought.

Thoughts and emotions make up a small part of our potential, but they’ve come to rule our life, often making us miserable.

Instead of the occasional inspired thought, we’re dominated by habitual ones that endlessly grind on—like the thought that we don’t measure up and other forms of negative self-talk.

Or we get stuck in emotional loops centered on difficult emotions like self-doubt, fear, or anger rather than feeling our feelings and allowing them to naturally dissolve.

Thoughts aren’t bad. They can be a useful tool as needed. But why would you want to engage in thought after thought given the discomfort many bring? It’s just a habit.

Then there’s troublesome emotions.

Emotions are part of the human experience. You don’t want to become a mindful robot and neither do I. Even a great spiritual being like the Dalai Lama cries when he’s moved to do so.

But emotions don’t have to sweep you into painful vortexes time and again. Instead, you can learn to feel your emotions, gather relevant insights, and let them move on too.