It can feel unsafe and vulnerable to receive compliments and take them to heart. If we quickly return the energy, we can stay in our comfort zone and we obstruct the intimate and heart-opening growth before us.
Grab hold of the inner thread that connects you to your heart, to the source of your being, to your anchor. It is at this point that you must get back to your gratitude, take some time to pause and start to think of all of the things you are grateful for.
We've heard it over and over again: "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. We are so different." I am here to say that it just plain isn't true! Not the way I look at things, anyhow.
In a flash, negativity can spin you into a tizzy, your center blown to smithereens. There are four major components of emotions: their biology, spirituality, energetic power, and psychology. Together, these components create an elegant portrait of your emotional self.
That Utah night so long ago was a turning point in my awareness because, at 16, I realized that there is something other than my mind that is part of my being. I realized that if I could say, "I want my mind to leave me alone," there was another part of me identifying myself as "I" and "me."
If our thoughts and energy are not supporting our life, then our life will not feel supported. Therefore, we must take responsibility for our life by consciously supporting ourselves in every given moment.
One of the most important aspects of being human is the fact that we have feelings -- all day long. And yet, rarely are we taught healthy ways to cope with them. Who among us learned about coping with emotions in school?
When we find ourselves having a strong emotional response that might not be appropriate to the situation, we can stop and take a moment to reflect on how our reaction may be influenced by our past experiences.
Thinking unethical thoughts doesn't make you unethical. It makes you feel unethical -- no harm in that. Provided, that is, you get a solid grip on the principle that acting on unethical, or insecure, feelings won't ever make them go away. It makes them come back even stronger.
Feeling angry can be beneficial to a person with cancer. It provides a means to vent and let off steam. After all, if anyone deserves to feel angry, it's someone with cancer. I believe it's even essential to feel anger in order to "process cancer" -- just not all the time.
We don't need to strive to "accept" or do anything with a low feeling. We simply need to remember that these glitches of consciousness are designed to self-correct, with no effort on our part, at all.
Fear of rejection is a big issue for many people -- and it used to be for me, too. I used to be so worried about how others felt about me that I was often anxious in my interactions with them -- always trying to say and do the "right" thing so they would like me or at least think well of me.
What follows is not a trick question: Would you rather feel exhilarated, grateful, humble, inspired, resolute, compassionate, and content -- or fearful, sad, worthless, jealous, angry, overwhelmed, and bored?
The next time you are in an awkward or unpleasant situation with someone who matters, don't stew about it. If you decide it's best to deal with the situation yourself by moving beyond your feelings, use these four tips and stop sweating the small stuff!
Our feelings are always informational -- a profound source of inner guidance. I encourage you to value your feelings and listen to what they are telling you, rather than ignoring and avoiding them.
A good way to relieve your pain is by sharing it, and by doing that, you're acknowledging that you are feeling discomfort in your heart or soul. It takes courage to reveal how we're really feeling when we're not feeling so good.
You're about to consider something that perhaps you didn't know was possible: When you feel down or you're hurting, you do not have to gaze out on your life to find the reason. There is another, less demanding option available.
Thirteen years ago, as a cancer patient with 3 and 5-year-old boys, I was afraid. I gained peace by asking myself over and over, "What am I afraid of right now, in this moment?" And the answer was always the same: nothing. My fears were all based on the future.
Aren't the holidays all about giving and sharing love, giving a gift to somebody just because you feel like giving and not expecting anything back? Isn't that what Santa Claus is?
It is so vital to take the time once in a while to give shout outs to these lights, these beacons that have palpably made our lives and often many other lives around them better. Let them know just how pivotal they are to you, and that the world just wouldn't be the same without them.
For many years, on those rare occasions when I cried, I'd get a headache. But when the grief is so intense, the tears wash over and seem to take out all the toxins and pain; at least, that's my non-scientific analysis.
The practice is to imagine yourself as an instrument through which the one blows a single, continuous, beautiful note called life. The wisdom of Rumi rings so profoundly simple: Listen to and honor your emotional longings, including those waves of both pleasure and pain.
Unless you are aware of how you feel, you can't choose something different. And choose something different you must. When your feelings aren't supporting where you want to go, you must be willing to put them aside and move forward.