All our parts are working for our good: Part 2 - the heart of the matter

Once we’ve accepted and set aside our actions that are sometimes over the top, we can then feel more available to contemplate the emotions behind those actions. But, what if we sit down to do this and we’re unsure what emotions are actually under the surface and or what to do with them once we do identify them?  

7 steps to perceiving feelings as precious teachers

List the Feelings:  Take a piece of paper and write, in the top corner of the page, at least three or four emotions you may be experiencing at the given moment.  If there are more than four, keep going.  

Color code Feelings- Think of a color for each emotion.  Whatever color comes to you first is probably the best.  Color over each emotion name with the color that comes to mind for that particular color.

Draw your heart- Draw a heart that takes up the rest of the paper.  Consider this to represent your total emotional capacity.

Chart the Heart: For each emotion you wrote, color, with its associated color, the amount of the drawn heart that particular emotion is taking up in your own heart.

Give life to the root feeling: Once the picture is complete, ask the heart which of the emotions seems to be the root of all the others.  Once you have that one, give it a shape, texture, temperature, and location within your vicinity to go with the color.

Name the motive and need: Going with the assumption this emotion is trying to help you out in some way, ask the emotion about its specific motive for showing up at this very moment of your life.  Once you have the answer, thank it for having this intention.  Then, ask the emotion what it needs more of. 

Define your next action: Then, ask yourself what you’re equipped within yourself to do in order to provide this need.  Once your action is defined, follow through  and enjoy nurturing your own self as well as mindfully receiving the nurturance.

To wrap up, addressing emotions can be tricky initially when there is nothing outside of you to go on.  However, the above steps hopefully help you identify and discover them in a way that informs you on how you can best help them as well as propel your own self forward into an emotionally managed and more functional future.  Stay tuned for next time on embodying your ideal inner parent.