Thursday, January 30, 2014

Feelings. . .nothing more than feelings. . .

One of the most foundational truths we talk about in HOPE is feelings.  For so many years I stuffed my feelings that I didn't even know how to begin to allow myself to feel.  When I stopped using food to stuff them down, they began to pop up without much effort on my part.  The second thing I had to negotiate was how to express these feelings in a healthy way that works for me.  Learning these things definitely takes time and patience and a willingness to continue on the journey of lifestyle change.  Today we talked about this journey in terms of being on a treasure hunt.  One of the treasures we are looking for is the emotional part of ourselves that we may have spent years suppressing. Feelings are simply information that tells us what we need.  Nothing more, nothing less.  While some feelings are more uncomfortable than others, they cannot be looked at as either good or bad.  It doesn't serve me well to judge my feelings.  In fact, your feelings ARE a treasure and a wonderful part that has been wired into you from your birth. Enjoy your treasure hunt this week!  Just remember to keep this attitude in your heart as you go excavating - I will not judge myself for what I'm feeling, I will appreciate my God-given gift of my emotions. 

TOOL:
"We are on a continual treasure hunt on the journey of lifestyle change"

a) Why are your emotions a treasure?

b) What are the other treasure that you will find on this journey?

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