Time changes emotions and journals preserve good times... so we journal not only when we are overwhelmed but also when we feel good about ourselves in hope that we are encouraged by good feelings at one point in our life that we can refer to when we are in despair. That is a good thought. Pray when you are happy rather than only when you want something from God.
The other idea from this chapter: time changes emotions differ from time heals all wounds, which I never really believed in that if the emotion is not dealt with. However, I do see that with time, emotions change. I think for me it is when an event is clarified or validated, I no longer have the same acute feeling. I still have feelings about a situation but it is changed. It could be feeling disappointed to feeling annoyed or feeling relief about the same situation. When my father died, I was so hurt and sad at first. Then as time went along I held onto good memories by looking at pictures of him in his childhood with my grandmother, which was comforting. Then I felt relief that he was no longer suffering from his illness - no more chemo.
In this chapter, the first exercise (3) is pretty much laid out for you. The purpose of this is to remember a good feeling in your life and to train the emotional part of your brain to have access to it prn (as needed), especially when feeling down in the dumps. As I was writing this, I realized that this was a long time ago and thought have I not had a good feeling since then??? Oh well, I guess that is the pessimistic side of me. Also, when doing this for those followers who want to do the same, use an event that is easier to encounter like getting a massage rather than something you will never feel like winning the lottery again.
Exercise 3: A Positive Emotional Reference Point
I remember a good feeling when: Jeremy coming over to see me for the first time in Dallas when and we went to Six Flags. (yep, this was Summer of 2006 - I'm sure I've had good feelings since...)
I simply felt: hopeful for a start of a relationship. (okay, I don't plan on having another relationship such as this one but the word is 'hopeful')
I was [where]: driving to the truck stop in Dallas off of I-20. (yep, my husband is a truck driver) It was a time in my life when I was doing [an activity or a general description]: I was single (bam!!! I do love being married - just to clarify, okay 95% of the time. It's still an A)… I’ll never forget [people, weather, environment, etc.]: that it rained and all the rides were closed when we got there but we still had a good time. They opened rides later on as the weather cleared. I got sick after one ride. When I went home, I went to the bathroom and felt better (TMI -eh?). We ate Chipotle that evening. I’ll never be right there again but I know I CAN feel that way again.
Okay, so after writing this down, you are supposed to read an entry that consisted of feeling overwhelmed and going back in forth with this entry. I did it (once)... my eyes hurt... but I feel somehow lifted.
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