How are you feeling?

I woke up this morning feeling a little bit down. That pervasive unhappiness sat with me as I prepared my daughters’ lunches for school and drove them across town.

But wait a minute!

You are not your feelings. You don’t even have to trust your feelings. Every moment I get the chance to decide how I want to react. I am not my past moments. I do not have to stay feeling any particular feelings. I have free will; I have a choice. I thought, “I am not going to stay in this lull. I am moving forward and I want to feel content, worthy and loving.” As soon as I committed to this new reality, my pervasive heavy feelings lifted and I began to feel upbeat and positive. I was now ready to take on the day!

Now I understand that issues like biochemical depression are an entirely different thing and are not as easy to ignore and refocus. But with your average run of the mill emotional slump, you don’t have to believe your feelings. Use the moment to create the emotional reality that you want.

I know it is not in my best interest to focus so closely on my emotions. Further, I don’t believe that every emotion is worthy of devoting time or energy to. I know that when it comes to my emotions, I can be like a surfer catching waves. I can choose which emotions I am going to pay attention to, and which ones I am going to let pass me by. From now on, I plan to float on top of the waves of emotion and only follow the troughs downward when I really intend to.

I AM… two of the most powerful words. For what you put after them shapes your reality. -Bevan Lee