Regulating ourselves and our emotions is the key to a healthy mind and happy life.
If we do not regulate our bodies and emotions, we are at the mercy of our minds and happiness, and we will get stuck reacting internally to external circumstances.
If, however, when we get overwhelmed (which happens to almost everyone occasionally), we stop, breathe and regulate our response, that is what it becomes. A reply instead of a reaction.
Daniel Goleman speaks about this eloquently in his book Emotional Intelligence calling it 'Amygdala Hijack.'
The author says if we feel an 'Amygdala Hijack' coming on, we decide how to respond in a second or two. If we regulate ourselves at that moment, we respond with control; if we don't, we react.
When we react blindly and unwillingly, we say and do things we usually regret.
It is when we are repeating programs from our past, a subconscious rewind of a former time, event or reaction that we are not in control of. The result is that it usually doesn't end well for us or those around us.
Goleman determines that Emotional Intelligence, or EQ is more important than IQ.
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When we notice a feeling, we don't like, such as anger, sadness or fear, our body signals us to regulate. If we do not restrict ourselves right then and there, we react, which is never a good idea.
When we regulate our emotions, we are in control of our response to things that unfold in our inner and outer world.
Responding instead of reacting can require breathing, praying or meditating even journalling about something before we react.
Still, if we can stop the "amygdala hijack," we will make better choices, leading to a better life.
As you go through your day today, notice how you respond and react. Awareness is always the starting point!
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Alphabet soup for the soul vol.2- "S”
S is for Surrender
“When we surrender, we open to more possibilities than we can
even visualize or imagine for ourselves”
Kute Blackson
Life is a journey; the best way to experience it is to surrender and let go. Expect nothing and accept everything.
Last year, I chose surrender as the theme of my year.
I can not begin to tell you how many amazing things happened when I surrendered. There were many times when I didn’t want to or didn’t feel like doing something, but I reminded myself to offer, which is always when the magic occurs.
When we make our plan but then surrender the outcome, we have done our part in the creation process.
Maybe it happens the way we want, and perhaps it does not, but we can stand tall with our heads held high, knowing that we did everything we could and let go of the final result.
What happens is that people, events and circumstances will unfold with absolute beauty in our lives. Since we are not expecting or trying to control what happens, it allows more magic 199
to flow. We vibrate higher and float lighter because our physiology is safe and secure. This will enable things to enter our experience that may have been blocked otherwise.
I am reminded of an example of baby chicks born in our home over the winter. Upon hearing that we were incubating chick eggs, I thought, “No way.” However, I quickly reminded myself of the theme for the year and acquiesced.
In doing so, I was treated to a miracle before my eyes. The chicks pecked their way out of the egg with the ‘tooth’ on their nose and designed for precisely that single purpose; it is used for breaking out of the shell before falling it falls off the nose.
Then the baby chicks moved over to the other eggs and helped warm them until their brothers and sisters were ready to break out of their shells. Once this happened, they all huddled together, chirping and dancing around. Even the Dog peered in with amazement and wonder at the goings-on inside the tiny community of a cardboard box that acted as a home for these baby chicks.
Once we surrender, if we try to do something and it doesn’t happen, then it is not meant to happen (at that time). So, these are some of the most significant changes we can ever make to our ideology, and the results are truly magical.
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Alphabet soup for the soul vol.2- "T”
T is for Transcend
“Transcend the limits of what you think is possible, and you may
find greatness.