Our emotions change like the wind. From Sad to Joyful, Mad to Powerful, Scared to Peaceful, and many others in between.
We might feel all six of these core emotions, or some version of them, in a single day. Sometimes we don't even know how we feel.
We often can't control our emotions and they are determined by our unique emotional makeup and the situations we find ourselves in plus so many different factors.
There are tools to help you get to know and more easily become aware and recognise your feelings.
This is the feeling wheel - a tool for expanding awareness of emotions and increasing spontaneity and intimacy, by Dr. Gloria Willcox.
You can use the feelings wheel to help you pinpoint a feeling.
Try asking yourself how you're feeling, right now, in this moment. Can you find the emotion in the feelings wheel?
But so how do we gain control over our minds and emotions?
The answer is easy - we meditate.
My friend Surat Singh*, a meditation master from India, sent me this message this morning:
"Sit With It.
When a feeling pops up, rather than ignoring or dismissing it, sit with it.
Just sit and listen to your feelings, and give yourself love and acceptance.
You'll then be on your way to exploring the belief behind the feeling and what you need to do about it."
I always like his messages of encouragement. Surat has been meditating with incredible dedication since 1968, and has been teaching meditation for decades. He has a lot of wisdom. Here's another good one from him: "If you see someone without a smile today, give them one of yours. Good Morning."
Our emotions are in a constant flow, like this waterfall. The feelings come and go.
Goðafoss taken during our journey around Iceland in August 2020.
Meditation is the best way to gain control over our minds and emotions. When we begin by acknowledging how we feel, it's the first step in becoming aware, allowing and accepting, and looking deeper to find out what to do to move in the direction we want to go.
If you are sad, mad, or afraid, sit with it and explore what needs of yours are not being met and how to address those needs. You might need to have a certain conversation or take some action to work on the issue. You might want to do a Move or Let go meditation to move through those feelings, and be able to enter a state of calm and clarity.
If you are feeling joyful, powerful or peaceful, you can expand those positive feelings by continuing to increase your awareness. You might want to do a Calm or Focus meditation, and expand a feeling of gratitude. From there you will gain insight and energy to be able to take actions that are in alignment with your deeper heart's desire. Clarity and awareness is key as well as moving forward and taking proper action.