Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Avoiding Emotions

What is your favourite strategy for avoiding emotions? Do you have a strategy? Of course you do. We all do.
Some people walk away.
Some people get physically active.
Some people tell others complaining stories.
Some people blame.
Some people go quiet.
Some people pretend to have no emotions.
What do you do?
Are you aware of what you do? Really?
Maybe you are a person who yells, screams, kicks, slam doors, runs. Then do you feel that you have felt the emotions? And then it's scary to feel emotions because you might do it again and be out of control. In our society it is judged as not good if we project emotions in this way. The dilemma is that we don't know that that behaviour is actually a strategy for avoiding emotions. We are not taught to just feel emotions. We believe that projecting and acting out is feeling. And following on from this, the belief is created that emotions are not good and need to be avoided,
We can choose not to indulge in these strategies - just stop - be aware of the feeling in the body - no story of blame or why the feeling is there -just the raw emotion. This is feeling emotion. And it is very freeing, because it then dissolves. And the story loses it's significance. Wahoo!

And can I do this?? Can you?

Since the major changes in my life I have felt more emotions than ever before. I have even been emotional!! Instead of living life along a calm middle line, I have experienced all sorts of emotions. I suspect (but don't know) that because I have piles of emotions that have been suppressed over many years they are being let out to be felt, triggered by simple little things. Impatience when the hose fitting doesn't work, frustration with the computer, anger when I can't find something, etc.
Or are these just safe situations to feel emotions?? Oh dear - the  mind can rationalize and analyse for ever.
Anyway to answer the question. Yes, I can stop and feel the raw emotion  - sometimes. Other times, the feeling hangs around for a while. maybe until something distracts me from it - oh, well - it will resurface another time. The gift of life will provide an opportunity for emotions to be felt, allowed and released.

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