Receiving a revelation is one thing, but putting it to practice? Now that’s quite another. If you are familiar with my writings or we are connected on social, you’d have heard me talk about our thoughts producing feelings and feelings influencing action. I decided to put this theory to practice and go beyond merely knowing to actually doing.
The Experiment: Thoughts & Feelings
I spent two weeks asking myself two questions:
- “What feeling made me do or say that?”
- “What thought caused the feeling?”
This is what led to my experiment. A couple of weeks ago I was having a discussion with someone, and I could feel a sense of irritation welling up within me. There was no need for the irritation- how did I know? Because I have a habit of zooming out to watch myself without emotion- I believe that’s the only way you can truly see what you’re up to.
So I traced my steps back to identify the feeling- irritation. I took another step back to evaluate the thought that caused it- “this person is pre-judging me.” Finally, I went further and examined the comment that led to the thought. The comment in itself was harmless, yet what I thought about it was unpleasant.
What’s your mindset?
Negative thoughts which stem from a neutral or harmless situation occurs when there is an underlying belief or mindset. The mindset filters the words you hear, giving it a different meaning.
Emotions are not caused by the words we hear, they are caused by what we think or believe about the words. My task for you is to zoom out when you start to feel any emotion and observe without judgement. Next, walk back to the thought you had that caused the feeling, and then compare the words you heard with the view and see if they are in agreement.
Try this at home
If you still need convincing that our thoughts determine our feelings which in turn drive our actions, try this. The next time you have an emotion intense enough to notice- and this can range from mild discomfort to euphoria, walk yourself back to the thought you had before the feeling came up and inspect it. Then compare the words that caused the thought with the feeling to see if they align.
This practice will help us become better at managing our emotions and therefore directing the trajectory of our lives.
Comment in the box below, I’d love to know what you think!
