Things are crazy in our world right now. I know you know what I mean. I don’t even need to try to explain it.
I read the news to stay informed and on top of things. To educate myself. To not turn a blind eye to the realities of our world today. Because they are very real and we need to LISTEN.
But I end up having all these feelings. It makes me so so sad and angry.
And that’s OK. I need to feel all these things. To process.
But I also have to be careful. Because it can take over my entire day.
I am actively trying to cultivate more positive feelings in my daily life. Gratitude. Optimism. Hope. Joy.
And as important as these other feelings are to feel, I need to be careful to not get sucked into them and stay there for too too long. For me. For my own sanity.
I just read a book about breathing to my 2nd graders this morning. I teach live music once a week and have about 5 or 6 that consistently show up. I could potentially have as many as 180, but it is what it is. I am grateful for the ones that do show up.
I read them a beautiful book called “Breathing Makes it Better” by Christopher Willard and Wendy O’Leary. Thich Nhat Hanh was their inspiration.
“YOU ARE ALIVE. And because you are alive, you have feelings and emotions just like every person on Earth. Sometimes you feel happy, silly, joyful, and calm. And sometimes you feel sad, angry, scared, and along — and it can be uncomfortable. But if you watch and really notice, feelings come and go — just like your breath goes in … and out, in each little moment of the day.”
That is how I am trying to process my emotions right now. Noticing them. Feeling them. But allowing them to pass. And choosing to focus on my mindset. To change the things that I can. And the only two things I have any control over are my attitude and my effort. (I just started Rachel Hollis’ #next90challenge where she talks about this)
Wow. That’s pretty powerful, right?
ATTITUDE.
EFFORT.
You can’t control your emotions. They are a part of who you are. But you can notice them and learn from them. Acknowledge them. And then put your focus on what you can control.
I don’t see this as a way of bypassing any of the feelings I am feeling. I see it as a way of managing how it affects me. I am still feeling all the things. I am not stifling them. I am letting them be there. But I am also intentionally choosing to bring more peace into my life.
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Change what you can. Your attitude and your effort.
Remember to breathe.
And always remember to do what makes you happy.