Sometimes I let my feelings control me and suddenly, I am overwhelmed with emotion and off balance.
It can be as easy as someone sending me an email saying, “Hey, can I chat with you for a minute? I need to talk to you about something” and the next thing I know, my stomach is turning, I’m running through a mental list of what I may have done to upset this person, and I’m focused on what might happen next instead of staying in the moment.
I have a bad habit of creating a story, running a thread, allowing my feelings to take over before I even know the facts.
When I find myself overwhelmed with emotion I have learned it is best to step back… to curb the feelings… until I do know what’s really going on.
Worrying, fretting about something that might happen in the future, is not going to help me solve the problem… if there even is a problem.
I must learn to quiet my mind and find focus in the moment.
The more I practice not letting my feelings gain control of me, the better I become at keeping a quiet mind.
Emotional turmoil will not help me walk my spiritual path.
Emotional turmoil will drive me off balance and create chaos.
Feelings are not facts.
I must learn to calm my feelings and wait for the facts so that I can logically approach each situation and then choose to “act” instead of “react.”
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“Dear God, help me to stay calm when feelings overwhelm me. Help me to make my decisions with a clear mind, a calm head, and a loving heart.”
I can’t believe the timing of this post. I’ve been on a very steady track recently, but it derailed a few days ago and being able to sleep at night has been a challenge. Triggers, feelings … for example, one call from a family member that “I heard something interesting; I need to call you back and talk to you”. Sounds crazy but it set me off with worry, speculation and raw emotions. I have no business going back to the past, but sometimes I feel pulled in. Had to go take a long walk today and have a talk with myself! You are so right — find balance, find the present moment, and remember that you can’t allow yourself to believe all those “theories” when your mind wanders.
There is always a story behind everything. I’m amazed at the stories I fabricate, which I’ll realize later aren’t even close to reality. But when I analyze feelings and discover the story behind them, it’s a great way to reframe my thinking. I’m really glad you shared this.