Stepping Into Tension
Comfort and security are two things few of us have to be taught to seek out. Whatever experts debate about in terms of what is innate and what isn't, over the course of our two and a half million years of evolution we seek a certain sense of security for our well being.
In the modern era we live in today the threats we face day in and day out are more figments of our creative minds than not. (At least for those of us blessed with the randomness of living in the first world and those lighter complected) Crime rates have steadily have been on the decline in every measurable metric (with the exception of Internet crimes) since 1993 but in a recent poll many Americans believe crime to be on the rise, to the tune of 68% polled. It's obvious that where we put our focus and attention becomes real to us.
Social psychologists and behavioral economists have shown again and again how we humans are all more emotional and unreasonable than we care to acknowledge. This isn't a bad thing but it does set us up in traps (biases and heuristics) we may not otherwise be aware of. We are capable of tweaking and nudging ourselves beyond the emotional impulses we have but this requires a level of focus and attention few of us work to develop and build. It requires that we step into our own tension systems which for many of us, myself included, is extremely uncomfortable to do.
Fear, pain, anger, sadness, and anxiety are emotions we all have felt but few of us learn embrace. They make us feel threatened thus our focus and attention is centered on them which actually only makes them more intense. I know for me personally it is simply scary as hell. To be reminded of how vulnerable we can feel is terrifying. Once I accepted that it was normal to experience these emotions, I became better at embracing and managing them while limiting the focus and attention they receive. I still get scared as hell when my anxiety creeps in but now I can give it the respect it deserves and let it run its course without it taking me over. This process also brings me back to baseline quicker and with less pain and suffering.
Our emotions and feelings are part of what makes our lives worth living. Too often we shut down what is painful but not only does every study show that this doesn't help us emotionally, it stops us from feeling and expressing happiness and joy as well. In the equation of emotion we can not be selective as to which type of feeling we experience, if we shut down one we effectively shut them all down. Stepping into our tension puts us at the center of our own discomfort but also enables us to be at the center of our own happiness and joy as well.
#elliotyi
#paradigmleft
#habits
#mindset
In the modern era we live in today the threats we face day in and day out are more figments of our creative minds than not. (At least for those of us blessed with the randomness of living in the first world and those lighter complected) Crime rates have steadily have been on the decline in every measurable metric (with the exception of Internet crimes) since 1993 but in a recent poll many Americans believe crime to be on the rise, to the tune of 68% polled. It's obvious that where we put our focus and attention becomes real to us.
Social psychologists and behavioral economists have shown again and again how we humans are all more emotional and unreasonable than we care to acknowledge. This isn't a bad thing but it does set us up in traps (biases and heuristics) we may not otherwise be aware of. We are capable of tweaking and nudging ourselves beyond the emotional impulses we have but this requires a level of focus and attention few of us work to develop and build. It requires that we step into our own tension systems which for many of us, myself included, is extremely uncomfortable to do.
Fear, pain, anger, sadness, and anxiety are emotions we all have felt but few of us learn embrace. They make us feel threatened thus our focus and attention is centered on them which actually only makes them more intense. I know for me personally it is simply scary as hell. To be reminded of how vulnerable we can feel is terrifying. Once I accepted that it was normal to experience these emotions, I became better at embracing and managing them while limiting the focus and attention they receive. I still get scared as hell when my anxiety creeps in but now I can give it the respect it deserves and let it run its course without it taking me over. This process also brings me back to baseline quicker and with less pain and suffering.
Our emotions and feelings are part of what makes our lives worth living. Too often we shut down what is painful but not only does every study show that this doesn't help us emotionally, it stops us from feeling and expressing happiness and joy as well. In the equation of emotion we can not be selective as to which type of feeling we experience, if we shut down one we effectively shut them all down. Stepping into our tension puts us at the center of our own discomfort but also enables us to be at the center of our own happiness and joy as well.
#elliotyi
#paradigmleft
#habits
#mindset
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