Emotions sometimes confuse us. We may feel our emotions but we need to know that we are not the emotion.
I sometimes get confused about my own emotions.
I am happy that I can experience anger, grief, love and joy. I also can cry easily which is not typical of most men.
Sometimes I get stuck in sadness, resentment and disappointment. I may spend lots of time trying to analyze why I feel that way and judging the emotion at the same time.
Experiencing emotion is part of the path but is not the destination. We are supposed to feel and acknowledge our emotions and let them go.
The question is when is it enough to feel sad or angry and stop analyzing and rehashing our story?
If the same old thoughts and beliefs keep bringing us down, when do we say enough is enough?
My teacher, keeps reminding me that our natural state is joy. If we are sad or angry, it is unnatural and only needs to be experienced temporarily.
This is a bit contradictory to my past belief and observations. In the past, my usual emotional state has not been joy. When I accomplished something I allowed myself to be joyful!
When I am in regret of past or worry about future, I cannot be in a state of joy.
We all basically operate from two overlapping modes: our soul and ego mind.
When we are in our heart we are connected to our soul. When we are in our head we are most likely connected to our ego.
Our emotions are like a map pointing us to what two versions of identities we are operating on.
Any feeling that has lower vibration is not from our soul. It is typically from our ego, beliefs and up-bringing.
Feeling of unconditional love, gratitude, kindness, empathy, peace and harmony is from our soul.
The question is how do we connect to more of natural joy within us?
The question is answered by asking what obstacles to experiencing your joy are.
These obstacles are what you control can and change.
I can share with you some of my obstacles in experiencing more joy:
- Expectations (I am entitled to …)
- Beliefs of how life should be
- My stories of past hurts
- Habits that lowers my vibrations (lack of self-care)
- Identifying with my ego (I have done this great work … therefore …)
- Co-dependency (if so and so are not happy I cannot be happy)
Can you list some of your obstacles to experiencing joy within?
Copyright .2019 by Shervin Hojat
Never stop writing
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I try not to be too emotional, letting all those thoughts or chemicals flow into my brain making me act irrationally like I see happen to others… Sometimes destructively. But I do occasionally feel sorrow and cry. I also feel angry sometimes, but rarely let it get in the way of my rational thinking through why I am angry and how to deal with it. I wouldn't say that I am joyful, but I would say that I am hopeful, happy and optimistic for the most part. But I do find that occasionally a problem that is bothering me will run through my head repetitively at night, either while dreaming or lying awake attempting to sleep.
You are right about emotions. Without them, we have no way of dealing with life that is always taking place around us--some good, some bad.
Ron