The compass I'm referring to is one that relates to our emotions and feelings. Our emotions are a very integral part of our human experience that shapes our perceptions, decisions, and interactions with the world. We experience a whole range of feelings and there are many ideas out there of what our base emotions are that determine our feelings. But let's say our primary emotions are – fear, anger, sadness and joy. And the multitude of the feelings we feel are a result of these base emotions.
Do you think, in your everyday life, that you lead with a base emotion? In general I mean. Or maybe it's a feeling or specific feelings that you think you lead with? Have you ever thought about this?
I look back at my childhood and realized that I carried myself mostly with enthusiasm. Then, as a teenager and in early adulthood, it shifted to fear. Of course I felt all the other emotions and feelings intermittently but I find that there was an overarching one or few that I led with that played a big part in my actions and nonactions. As an adult, and as insightful as I am, I took a lot of time to parse out different experiences in my life so that I may begin to lead with my pure childhood feeling of enthusiasm again. And love. And joy as well. From these come so many rewards. All of the good feelings and happiness that we strive for.
It takes a conscious effort to understand our emotions and learn how to deal with it all. I believe we can choose and cultivate which we want to lead with in our lives. But in order to do that, we do have to be honest with ourselves and address different experiences including ordeals, traumas, stresses we have faced along our journey. That is for another episode too. I have so much more to say there.
But if you just keep trying little by little, every day, you will see change. Consistency is key. And after all, what you practice everyday is what becomes habit. And your habits create your life.
What habits do you want to build? What emotions and feelings do you think you need in order to build the habits that you want that will give you the progress you want in life?
I feel like I need to write a book or build a course on this now. :D But really, go journal a bit and allow yourself to be introspective so you can learn more about yourself, the life you want to build for yourself, and build it feeling by feeling with the feelings you want to feel.
Can you remember what emotion or feeling you lead with as a child? Do you know which you have lead with at different periods of time in your life? How about these days?
Remember, the way your interpret your emotions determines your feelings. So choose wisely how you interpret your emotions.
May you be guided towards a path of personal growth, happiness, and a more fulfilling and joyful existence.
