I never used to think that there was anything negative or undesirable about being emotional, or having an emotional reaction to something. Then last week I read the following post from a spiritual teacher on twitter:
"The more emotional energy you give to situations, the more you stop your spiritual growth."It took me a few days to take that in and try to process it. I had always thought that emotions were to be honored and expressed, lest they fester and create illness in the body.
During my childhood, my family expressed emotions- negative emotions. Positive or loving emotions were apparently embarrassing or taboo. Anger was equated with power, dominance and even intelligence. It's no wonder that I developed the notion that emotions- negative emotions- were desirable.
Yet my adult observations have shown that emotions can interfere with communication and effectiveness, a concept I found expressed eloquently on Surgit's blog:
It is possible to speak truth in anger.
When so done, people tend to hear the anger and not the truth.
It is possible to speak truth in arrogance.
When so done, people tend to hear the arrogance
and not the truth.
It is possible to speak truth in deceitful ways.
When so done, people tend to sense the deceit
and take the truth for more deceit.
It is possible to speak truth in loving kindness.
When so done, people tend to hear the love and the truth......
-Jesa MacBethClearly, this idea is worthy of my attention. My goal now is to figure out how to regulate the body to remain in a state of peaceful calm no matter what goes on around it, like the eye of a hurricane.
Wish me luck with that!
.
5 comments:
Hmmmm, Betty, let me offer yet another addition to that perspective.
It is VERY important to acknowledge your emotions, be willing to feel them, and clearly articulate your healthy boundaries.
Yes, their is a way to do it that is effective versus ineffective, that is true.
As also illustrated on Surjit's wise blog.
Loving kindness is strength and clarity - it does not mean without emotion or with-holding or denying emotion as as much as it means bringing yourself back to calm and center more easily and fully than you used to be able to.
So you see what pushes your buttons and then because you understand what it triggers in you to be healed, you work on that issue until you can let it go, layer by layer.
It is only staying stuck on those negative emotions, being unwilling to see it from another perspective or to understand how the lesson benefits you that keeps the veils of illusion down/keeps your spiritual eyes from opening wider about it, and thus your spiritual growth.
Usually negative judgmemts are part of what we have been brought up with, and we are committed to our righteous indignidation or opinion about things.
But is that attachment so important?
In other words, you may think the people who turned the old folks home down the road into a parking lot are short sighted idiots, but is it worth your having anger in your day to fume or focus on it?
Then you get a choice when you see what is going on around you - to observe it and be neutral.
The situation may not have changed - just your perspective on what you want to have in your day did.
((many peaceful blessings, wishes and luck sent your way today and everyday)
*hugs and smiles*
Dear Aurora,
What an insightful comment! This is what makes blogging worthwhile to me- it's such a great way to receive intelligent and thoughtful feedback to whatever it is that I'm struggling with at the moment. You have provided much food for thought, Aurora. Thank you and bless you!
Hugs,
Betty
....'My goal now is to figure out how to regulate the body to remain in a state of peaceful calm no matter what goes on around it, like the eye of a hurricane...
Amen!
Dear Surjit,
It's so easy to toss off those words, yet what an undertaking to actually follow through!
That you for your inspirational blog.
Hugs,
Betty
I DO wish you luck, but if you figure it out how about pass the secret over here!
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