So often the
way we feel depends on how things are going in our lives. I’m “glad” when nice
things happen to me… “Nice” being defined as things that a part of me likes and
enjoys… or that something turns out the way ‘I’ hoped it would turn out … At
other times, I see someone do well or they are happy and glad about something,
and I join in the celebratory mood.
Feeling “sad”
can be a similar dynamic in which outside circumstance are not going as I had
hoped… or I have lost something I wanted to continue to enjoy. Likewise, when I
see things happen in the world that seem unfair, abusive, or harmful in other
way, we can feel some empathy on the “sad’ side of the spectrum.
Anger is
another emotion in which something happens that goes against some mindset we
are holding… It may be an outcome I was hoping for which didn’t occur. It might
be seeing something being done to others or myself that seems unfair and
harmful.
Emotions are
usually based in our mindset and values. When the emotion is present it tells
us something about who we are. So emotions are a normal expression that can
teach us… if we choose to look… If we think that anything is absolute, then we
miss the opportunity to learn and grow. By looking we begin to identify those
beliefs and values to which we are most attached and aligned. Self-examination
provides the opportunity for greater awareness and choice.
At times
there may be a more stoic sense of neutrality… “I’m okay”…neither positive nor
negative…. just present… It can be a positive acceptance of what is… an “Okayness”…
almost an “I’m okay; you’re okay; it’s okay” moment… a neutral detached, yet
engaged and observing presence. This presence is a state of awareness that to
others may appear as a detachment from emotions…. It may also be accompanied by
a detachment from mental chatter and trying to figure things out or understand
a situation… The state of presence just is… being present in a situation with a
peace and calmness that allows for clear response.
In reality,
there is much more that we do not ‘know’ than what we do know… yet our feelings
often point to the underlying assumptions, beliefs, and thought-forms we hold
in our egoic mental make-up. We may reflect or mirror someone’s emotions they
are sharing with us in empathy and support…yet we do not need to take on their
emotions as our own.
At times, I
have been seen as aloof or detached, when in fact I may be fully engaged and
feeling something quite intense within. Some of us tend to be more process
observers. Introverts tend to process things within, often showing less
demonstrable reactions to situations. Extroverted folks tend to process things
out-loud and prefer the presence of others to share their thoughts and
feelings.
It is good to
feel our feelings… Its natural… Our emotions are a vital and important aspect
of our make-up. They teach us about what is going on and what basic
values and beliefs we have. They help us connect with one another… And, we are
more than our feelings. We are always much more than we ‘think’ we are…. Stay
tuned…
John
HutchinsonSundance Center for Conscious Living - www.sunhutch.com
john@sunhutch.com
May 24, 2014
john@sunhutch.com
May 24, 2014
