Who Is Deciding How You React To Your Feelings?
Are your emotional reactions automatic or on purpose?
Are you frustrated with how you continue to react the same way
every time a specific situation or feeling comes up?
Have you desired less stress and anxiety in your life, and more
pleasure and happiness?
If you had a choice, would you choose anger, resentment, fear,
worry, and jealousy to be a consistent part of your life? More
likely, I think you want more happiness, joy, fulfillment,
understanding, and love to be present.
Well, you can choose, you can change yourself one small step at
a time in all areas of your life if you choose to. Your personal
growth is up to you; you can cease allowing your automatic
reactions to guide your life.
You can react to your feelings any way that you want?
CHANGING HOW YOU REACT TO A FEELING Just because you have
reacted in a certain way does not mean you must continue to do
so. You can actually change your reaction any time you choose.
We all react to the specific feelings that come up when
something occurs. And how we react is based on how we perceive
the occurrence. If you can change the way you perceive
something, you change your reaction to it. And changing your
reaction will alter the outcome of your feelings and actions.
NOTICE, ASSESS AND CHANGE The first thing is to just notice how
you are reacting to a given feeling. This may seem difficult at
first, as most likely you are accustomed to living on
auto-pilot, allowing whatever thoughts come up, to rule the
moment. You can start by thinking about your reaction after the
fact, then gradually as you become more aware of this, you will
notice while you are reacting. After awhile, as you become more
aware, you will find that you can easily notice your reactions
right as they are coming up.
Then you will be able to quickly analyze how you would prefer to
react and do so. This can take time, as your habitual reactions
will want to slip in as they always have. With persistence and
determination you can take command of your reactions.
VALUES AND DESIRED LIFE Look at your personal values when
deciding how you would rather react. What reaction would better
serve the values you want to live by? How would you rather
behave in certain situations? Could you reduce negative effects
and increase the more desirable?
If your present reaction is one of anger, is anger what you want
in your life, or would there be another reaction more in line
with how you want to live your life? You can change much of what
your experience in life by changing your perceptions
THIS IS CHANGE You can eliminate the experience and results of
your anger if you choose not to allow anger to be a part of your
reaction in a given situation. Getting command of your thinking
and choosing to direct it how you want, will gradually bring
more of what you want into your life.
You will open yourself to a new life with every reaction you
alter to more align with how you desire to be. You don't need to
continuously be subject to undesirable automatic reactions that
are not beneficial to you.
Start noticing your reactions, and see them as something that
can be changed. Determine what you DO want in your life. Search
within yourself for what you DO want your life to include. What
are your values, your purpose, and your mission?
"Our reactions to our feelings are our passport to rebirth." -
Ayya Khema, "Being Nobody, Going Nowhere"