I have to admit I am the most emotional person I know. I like to think that is a good thing. LOL
The truth is whether we are aware of it or not, our emotions are influencing our everyday decisions.
That being said, emotional awareness is an essential skill for personal development. It’s the ability to identify, express, and understand our feelings and the impact they have on our actions and the way we perceive the actions of others.
I think the first step on my emotional awareness journey was to understand that our feelings are subjective and caused by our interpretation of a situation. I know many people who love the smell of coffee in the morning. It causes them to be happy and hopeful. I think it’s disgusting and it makes me sick and even cranky. LOL
The second step was to identify the emotions we feel and why. I also categorized some of them:
Positive Emotions Negative Emotions
1. Faith 1. Fear
2. Joy 2. Sorrow
3. Love 3. Anger
4. Enthusiasm 4. Frustration
5. Hope 5. Desperation
You would think we make better decisions when immersed in positive emotion and make horrible mistakes when a negative emotion is upon us: I have made major boo-boos in the name of love (that’s a whole book) and I have turned desperation and fear into outstanding achievements.
The third – and most difficult step – is to recognize that we are NOT our emotions (“I am angry!” and “I feel angry because…” are not the same sentence) and to not allow our emotions to define us and get the best of us.
The good news is that our emotions can help us grow tremendously if we harness them and use them to our benefit. It’s all about the mindset and the perception. It is a simple yet difficult choice. A choice is usually affected by our upbringing, our past experiences, our training, and even our peer group, but nonetheless, OUR choice.
Emotional awareness brings self-discovery and self-mastery. It allows us to understand and empathize with others in their journey, make wiser decisions, and achieve our goals.
What are some tips you can share to harness the power of our emotions?
Elayna is a single mom of 4, award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 4x TEDx speaker. Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results, so you can have the wealth, opportunities, and freedom you deserve. Connect with Elayna Fernández at thepositivemom.com/keynote-speaker and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.
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Michael
Tuesday 30th of August 2011
Just being aware of your own emotions is so helpful in relationships and life. There are many good books about emotions and feelings and reading only one of those could be the start of a new beginning. Thanks to writers like you we can learn new ways to understand, appreciate and cope with emotions, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel and staying trapped in old belief systems. Btw, physical activity is one great way to deal with negative emotions and as far as coffee is concerned, the smell of burnt coffee makes me very unhappy! :)
Dave
Tuesday 30th of August 2011
Its true, I like the list of emotions and how you break them down.. hard to understand them and its refreshing to learn