Emotions are the core of our personality. It is because of our emotions that we choose to accept or deny certain things about reality in regard to our beliefs. It is our emotions which give us passion for our favorite things to do. In other words, it gives us our personality, our small spark of individuality - difference.

However, when desire takes over the person, it leads to suffering. The feeling of "lacking" , the feeling of "yearning", the feeling of "jealousy", even the feeling of "bliss". All of these things will leave you suffering when they become so intense that it hurts and when the bliss of elated joy finally leaves you and all you have is peace but choose to call that "boredom".

It is not about giving "up" the emotions. It is also not about acting irrationally or suppressing the emotions. It's about relaxing them.

If someone makes you angry, you don't have to react by screaming and punching, kicking, yelling at anything in your path - because this would mean that they emotion is controlling YOU. It is about being RELAXED so that when the emotion does happen, you have clear sight to what you want to do , and are able to USE your emotions in a way to benefit you (whether leaving the situation calmly to not cause unnecessary conflict or whatever).

From our relaxed state - the emotions arises. Are you able to keep relaxed even in the face of conflict?

Originally posted by arpgme

From our relaxed state - the emotions arises. Are you able to keep relaxed even in the face of conflict?

Yes. With a shot of thorazine.

I would like to offer another theory of human nature. I believe there are two core issues that provide us with our personal sense of substance. I define substance in this case as how we feel about ourselves; whether we see ourselves as adequate or not adequate; respected or not respected; or a part of the circle or outside the circle. These two issues are human longings.

#1. We long for purpose and impact. Our life has meaning because we have purpose. Our life has value because we have impact. My life matters. I am a hard worker! I am a good father or mother.

#2. We long for relationship. We want to be in community. We want to feel part of a larger group of like minded people. I am an American! I am an ATS member!.

I believe all the other emotional behavior and thinking revolves around our sense of those longings being either met or lacking. The more we feel threatened in obtaining or maintaining those longings the more intense our emotional responses. If someone appears to be disrespecting us our response may be anger or even hatred. If someone appears to be better than us we may become envious or jealous. If these longings are not met we can become bitter and resentful of others and attempt to put them in their place (which is usually below us).

These longings are powerful! Very powerful! If we perceive others blocking or threatening us from obtaining their satisfaction we will FIGHT as if our life depended on it, because in our thinking and in regard to these longings, we believe it does. Unfulfilled longings feel like death and dying. If we feel someone is blocking us we may initially attempt to convince the other person to agree. If they continue to block we may try to manipulate and if that doesn’t work we may try to threaten by using anger or by shaming. If we believe they are blocking fulfillment of our longings they become our enemy.

These longings even drive our use of medications. If we are a salesperson and we are not meeting our sales quota, we might be tempted to use coc aine to give ourselves an edge over our competition. If you are a mother who has an angry distant daughter you might utilize a pain killer or alcohol to dull the pain of that broken relationship.

They impact our behavior. If I am a kid in the hood with a dysfunctional family I might join a gang for protection and for a sense of belonging. I might shoot someone just to feel the power from the ultimate impact on another person’s life. As a parent we might try to win our child’s affection by giving them whatever they want just to reinforce our sense of maintaining relationship with our kid, to feel like a good parent.

These longings precipitate emotional response. Satisfied, they produce contentment and satisfaction. Unmet, they produce insecurity and fear. The emotional response drives our behavior. If we just try to stuff or redirect our emotions without dealing with the core issue of our longings, at best we are only delaying their expression.

Everything you experience was created by you who is uncreated.

Originally posted by arpgme
Emotions are the core of our personality. It is because of our emotions that we choose to accept or deny certain things about reality in regard to our beliefs. It is our emotions which give us passion for our favorite things to do. In other words, it gives us our personality, our small spark of individuality - difference.

However, when desire takes over the person, it leads to suffering. The feeling of "lacking" , the feeling of "yearning", the feeling of "jealousy", even the feeling of "bliss". All of these things will leave you suffering when they become so intense that it hurts and when the bliss of elated joy finally leaves you and all you have is peace but choose to call that "boredom".

It is not about giving "up" the emotions. It is also not about acting irrationally or suppressing the emotions. It's about relaxing them.

If someone makes you angry, you don't have to react by screaming and punching, kicking, yelling at anything in your path - because this would mean that they emotion is controlling YOU. It is about being RELAXED so that when the emotion does happen, you have clear sight to what you want to do , and are able to USE your emotions in a way to benefit you (whether leaving the situation calmly to not cause unnecessary conflict or whatever).

From our relaxed state - the emotions arises. Are you able to keep relaxed even in the face of conflict?

I think You should become waaaaay more 'clear' on whether You have the FREE WILL to 'choose' anything...I mean 'you'...


A99

Make what is already happening be what you want to happen. Then, you are god.

Originally posted by smithjustinb
Everything you experience was created by you who is uncreated.

If that is true, then why can I not create a better reality for myself? Sure, I could do it, with my imagination. That doesn't make it real. I open my eyes, and I'm still here, in my sh*tty life. Why do some people insist that we have so much control, when we do not? Perhaps you are more insane than I am.

Originally posted by MrUncreated

Originally posted by smithjustinb
Everything you experience was created by you who is uncreated.

If that is true, then why can I not create a better reality for myself? Sure, I could do it, with my imagination. That doesn't make it real. I open my eyes, and I'm still here, in my sh*tty life. Why do some people insist that we have so much control, when we do not? Perhaps you are more insane than I am.

You create the quality. Then god creates the experience. You believe there is glory. God shows you something glorious. Your eyes will notice things that you know you would have otherwise missed. It will be more glorious than you thought could be possible. You may not see it now, but everything that is happening around you. Is meant to happen. You'll know when you experience it that it is God showing you. God shows you the perfection and the coordination of all that is going on. It's truly something to behold. And it's always like this. We just usually miss out on it because we aren't perceiving properly. Love is the way. Love everything you see. Then you'll see what's creating.

Did my post above this one show up? My phone is acting weird.