We are stronger than we believe….
As I was working on the inner structure of a new Angel (who is quite temperamental, I might add), I was reflecting on the complexity of our inner world and my attempt to represent this.
The force behind our various emotions was the idea that I wanted to convey, and I began to think about how we show or hide our emotions.
Sometimes we run into emotions that are difficult to deal with and our response is often to cover them up and pretend they don’t exist.
It turns out that this doesn’t really work since in doing this we are simply giving them more importance, in fact, we are creating a platform for them to exist and continue to torment us.
Not unlike triggers, which we unconsciously allow into our lives to set off an emotional response to something.
I decided to do some research into this area of our emotions and found this wonderfully insightful quote by Mark Epstein, M.D. [1]
“Thoughts do not have to be terminated through meditation; they can be simply observed. Disturbing emotions do not have to be excluded; they can be doorways into an aliveness that is as vivid as a moment of spontaneous laughter, or irritation. By learning to be with these emotions in a new way, we can, in fact, energize our lives and enrich our personal relationships. They give us access to ourselves, precisely because they challenge our attempts to keep ourselves together.”
We are not only encouraged in our quest for self-awareness but Epstein goes on to glorify all our emotions, even the painful ones.
Without them we would not be complete.
I am definitely not a masochist but it feels really good to not have to deny a part of my inner world, my thoughts and my feelings just because they are not always ‘happy’.
These hurtful or negative emotions can help us become whole by allowing us to delve deeper within our psyche.
It is upon this kind of honesty within and the acceptance of a past that cannot be undone that our future can be built.
By acknowledging these emotions we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, cut certain hurtful ideas out of our lives and be happy again.
Your future is yours for the taking. The past is never a reflection of your potential.
By Boky and Blake
[1] Epstein, M. Going to Pieces without Falling Apart: A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness. New York: Broadway Books 1998.