If Emotions Could Speak

Anger. Guilt. Sadness. Fear. Love. What are your emotions trying to tell you? What if they COULD speak?

Actually emotions do speak to us. They give us insight into our own belief systems and our attitudes. Because of our emotions we know what’s really important to us, and what pushes our buttons. We use our emotions as flags to help us navigate the unknown…to feel our way through the dark.

It might come as a surprise to hear that emotional responses are generally learned. They’re not WHO we are, yet we identify with them so closely that they can feel inseparable from us. Surely you’ve heard comments like,

“I’m just emotional that way.”

“Of course I get fired up over things!

I’m Italian (or Irish, or German, or… ) and that’s what we do.”

OR

“I can’t win. I’ll feel guilty no matter which choice I make.”

When we dismiss emotions as a part of us over which we have no control, guess what? We have no control! Learning the underlying messages our emotions truly reveal, however, can be immensely freeing because they give us a context through which we can separate ourselves from
our emotional responses.

Anger, for instance, comes from a feeling of being threatened. It’s a natural protective response we engage when we (or someone we love) is under attack. It matters not whether the attack is overt. Even  the perception of an attack to one’s ego can elicit anger.

Guilt is a guiding mechanism. We feel guilty when we say or do something that is contrary to our values, or when we believe we should be responding in a different way than we are. Guilt is the perfect emotion to encourage us to look a little closer at what’s really true about ourselves, and the principles upon which we wish to stand.

Sadness results from loss. When we lose anything—a person, a dream, a future possibility—we feel sadness or full-out grief. Even losing to disappointment can cause sadness. It reminds us to appreciate all that we have and all that we are.

Fear protects us from danger, be it real or perceived. We can fear attacks to our physical selves, but we also fear losing things or relationships we value.

Love has no equal and no opposite. It’s the deepest driving force of humanity. Find what a person loves, and you’ll have a glimpse of his soul.

Connect with these truths whenever you’re emotionally triggered and witness the powerful shift that takes place. It’s quite amazing really. Here’s a quick story to demonstrate the point:

In a recent conversation with a client, she was explaining her tendency to try to quiet her fears by eating. Food became solace. On the surface it appeared that this pattern had everything to do with a desire to not deprive herself of things she wanted. The key, however, was found in her perception of her emotions. When I asked her to describe her interpretation of what “fear” means, she immediately said, “weakness”. AHA! No wonder she was attempting to snuff out fear. Expressing it…or simply feeling it meant that she was weak!

As soon as her interpretation was changed and she connected “fear” to its real purpose of protecting and helping her know what she values in life, the impulse to stuff it down dissipated. Miraculous, really.

Why not give yourself the opportunity to experience your own miracle today? Embrace your emotions for the gift they are in helping you navigate your world. Listen carefully to what they’re actually saying, then free them to guide you on your path to achieving your deepest desires.