Feelings

Feelings...such a diverse word. So many aspects involved, ranging from the very negative to the very positive, and everything in between. So today, I'd like to talk a bit about feelings, and how they can make or break you, and how to control your feelings and emotions.

First, we'll get technical and give you the dictionary meaning. Feelings and emotions are intertwined. Merriam -Webster defines feelings  as: "a : an emotional state or reaction; b : the overall quality of one's awareness; and c : conscious recognition". Emotions are defined as: "a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body".

What really jumps out at me from the definition of emotions is how emotions are manifested in your body. Feelings and emotions release chemicals in your body that, if negative, can create illness. And that's because illness is actually just dis-ease - a lack of ease in the mind.

So with that in mind, lets go back to the definition of feelings. Notice the "conscious recognition" part. That means that you're aware of your feelings. Of course you are. Aren't we all? And that's why it's so important to know how to control your emotions. I've always viewed feelings and emotions as a meter of how you either react or respond to your daily challenges. And, yes, most of us have daily challenges, don't we? But those are only opportunities to learn and progress closer to Who We Really Are. 

How to Control your Emotions and Feelings

So let's look at the kind of situations that affect your feelings throughout your day. For me, I love music. I've been a musician - very amateur, but a musician nonetheless - most of my life. When I feel bad, I love to listen to music. Here's an example of a wonderful video that I love so much. Not only do I really love the recording, but the pictures and messages that accompany it bring me so much enjoyment. Now that's what feeling good is all about!

So there's one example of how you might channel your feelings toward a more positive level. Perhaps you have feeling words. By that, I mean words that make you feel good. You should always have a repertoire of feeling words at the ready for when you have to work towards controlling your emotions. Make your list. Keep it handy. Some examples of feeling words, for me, are: joy, sunshine, laughter, love - especially love. Bring those words to mind when you need to raise your level of vibration and emotion.

I'm no expert on feelings and emotions. I just know what works for me, and in sharing it with you, I hope that it can work for you, too. Joyce Meyer is a recognized expert on the subject, and she has a great book titled Managing your Emotions. If you think that might help you, you can get a copy here. She's also written a similar book which might help you: 

Living Beyond Your Feelings: Controlling Emotions So They Don't Control You

How to Make your Feelings Work for You

Putting your feelings to work for you is really a simple process. When you're in control of your feelings, you're riding high on the wave of life and love. And love is the most important and beneficial feeling you can possibly have. When you're feeling love, you're connected to your Source. You're in touch with your Soul. You're Being Who You Are. And that's all that really matters. Nothing that happens to you matters more than you feeling love. That's the remedy that will cure all your woes. 

Here's a thought that might help you. Think about what you do when you're met with a situation that you might automatically consider negative. Do you react, or do you respond? The difference I see in the two is that when you react, you do so unconsciously and that usually manifests itself as negative emotion, like anger, depression, and so forth. But when you respond, you do so with control of your feelings. You're able to look at the situation from an objective point of view and respond with a conscious positive thought that will produce positive results. Perhaps that might sound idealistic to you, but here's what I found. The more you respond instead of react, the better you'll get at it until, finally, you'll find that it becomes second nature. And isn't that something that everyone wants - to be in control of your feelings - automatically?

So the bottom line for me is, approach life with love. That's the feeling that will answer all negative situations. It's always been said that love conquers all and there's a very good reason for that - it's true! And "Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free." Enjoy that freedom. Enjoy your positive feelings. Just enjoy!

And I'm going to leave you with another positive, uplifting song to bring you some more good feelings. And remember to take those feelings with you into your daily activities. And, again, enjoy!