This past Tuesday morning brought me to this week’s subject. The morning started with my husband missing his doctor’s appointment, I was left feeling frustrated and a bit heated. Less than an hour later, I arrived at work to a mean and surly old man complaining about a storage room being junky and someone needing to clean it! At this point I am thinking “excuse me old man, indentured servitude ended a long time ago” Needless to say I was seething at this point! Thirty minutes later after assisting a co-worker with cleaning out the room and a (don’t try this at home) Grande Peppermint Mocha with a quad shot, I realize it was time to evaluate my emotions and take ownership over how I feel. I have often made the statement “fill in the blank made me feel.” This particular morning was no different, for a few minutes it was everyone’s fault but my own that I was angry. But, the reality is, no one had made me feel anything. Another human being cannot cause my emotions to shift. It is only my own internal processing center that determines how I feel about anything. Ultimately, feelings are a “subjective response to people, things, or situations.” Don’t get me wrong, I realized all emotions are valid and should not be suppressed, but they should also be evaluated. Asking myself simple questions like “Why do I feel this way? What can change this negative feeling into a positive or neutral one? How can do I find peace with this emotion?” allows me to rationalize the emotions.

True knowledge begins when we learn from our feelings; begin to respond with clarity and distinction. No longer should we allow our emotions to toss and turn through your head like a ship in a storm with no sail. No longer will ugly emotions manifest and severe long term relationships. Bringing emotions to heel seems easier said than done, but with continuous practice, conscience effort, prayer and meditation all things are possible. As the saying goes “perfect practice makes perfect” and there is no time like the present to make positive change.

~Tonya Woolfolk