The way we FEEL is like gasoline in a car, it FUELS us.
Our feelings drive all of our actions. Stop. Let that sink in. Our feelings DRIVE all of our actions. This means that the actions we take in our life come from how we feel. When I’m feeling energetic and focused, creativity flows and I easily follow through on the tasks I set out to do. When I’m feeling tired and drained, I stall out and find it difficult to do much of anything. The way we FEEL is like gasoline in a car, it FUELS us. When we understand this, it can help us pay closer attention to our emotions and clue in to how we respond to the different ways we feel. With this knowledge, we have the ability to generate useful emotions in order to create a certain outcome OR possibly cut ourselves some slack and have compassion with ourselves, depending on the situation and our desire. There are a myriad of additional benefits to making this connection and beginning to tune in to how your emotions are linked to the way you show up and behave in your life. The first step is to practice identifying and naming specific emotions. Throughout your day, pay attention to how you’re feeling at any given moment. Use ONE word to name the emotion you’re experiencing. Happy. Irritated. Calm. Frustrated. Excited. Once you’ve identified the emotion, ask yourself a few questions to increase your awareness of how that particular emotion fuels you or perhaps, stalls you out. If the emotion you identified is excited, ask yourself: What does excited feel like in my body (physically)? What kinds of things do I do when I feel excited (how do I behave)? Does this emotion take me closer or further away from my goals/desires? What kinds of things can I THINK to feel this emotion on purpose? As you practice, you’ll begin to recognize how powerful your emotions are and the ability you have to CREATE the emotions that fuel you!
