An essential skill for good emotional health is being able to manage our emotions so they don't rule us. It's appropriate to experience a wide range of emotions, including all types of anxiety, sadness, anger, happiness, etc. Our goal should be the ability to experience these emotions in such a way that they influence but don't control us.
Picture a person struggling to walk a large and unruly dog through a park. Every time that untrained dog sees a squirrel he is likely to chase after it, dragging the poor human on the other end of the leash through the bushes. This is the way some people are with their emotions. Any direction their feelings take them, that's where they're going to go whether they like it or not. It takes a lot of effort to discipline your emotions, but the results are well worth it.
I enjoy reading jokes from different eras, and I remember one from the 1920's, in which a rich woman told her butler to walk her beloved poodle Fifi through the park. The haughty butler sniffed, "But Madame, Fifi and I hardly know each other", to which the Madame replied, "Then it is Fifi who shall take You for a walk."
When it comes to your relationship with your emotions, who's taking who for a walk?
--------------
If you like this post (and I hope you do) please visit my primary professional website for related articles on emotional growth and development, individual and couples counseling, successful living tips, counseling, essays and observations about psychotherapy and change, recovery from sex addiction and many other interesting and useful topics.
No comments:
Post a Comment