“Proverbs 28:26: He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered”
The Nature of Feelings
The term “feeling” signifies an emotional state prone to fluctuations. That’s why “Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it”, warns against relying on it, acknowledging the heart’s deceitful nature.
Don’t hinge happiness on it; instead, discover something within yourself that you enjoy doing and go to prayer. Our feelings change quickly, so relying on them is dangerous. As human beings, we can easily lie, manipulate and deceive ourselves.
Feelings and Wrong Decisions
“Feeling” can make us get into the wrong relationship and friendship which is very dangerous for our well-being (mental), and spiritual and it causes trauma, although I detest lingering on trauma, as it induces sadness and feels like I’m making excuses.
Yet, it’s imperative to heal from it to evolve into better individuals. How does one heal? Through forgiveness, an act of kindness, attending a good church service, reading my Bible, and listening to insightful preachers, all these quickly helped me to let go.
Expressing my emotions through writing and recording also aids in the healing process. Journaling has consistently guided me through dark times and listening to my recorded self. It offers a different perspective and allows me to confront the vulnerable aspects I’d instead not acknowledge.
Once I can be utterly honest with myself and take to God in pray, it’s progress. Trauma in life or from childhood can also contribute to our mental stability and how we feel and respond to others.
Healing and Emotional Growth
I detest lingering on trauma, as it induces sadness and feels like I’m making excuses. Yet, it’s imperative to heal from it to evolve into better individuals. How does one heal? Through forgiveness, an act of kindness, attending a good church service, reading my Bible, and listening to insightful preachers, all these quickly helped me to let go. Expressing my emotions through writing and recording also aids in the healing process.
Journaling has consistently guided me through dark times and listening to my recorded self. It offers a different perspective and allows me to confront the vulnerable aspects I’d instead not acknowledge. Once I can be honest with myself, it’s progress.
Finding your enjoy and happiness out the human race is very important you shouldn’t relay on people for happiness.
Finding Joy Within Yourself
For instance, I derive joy from praying, writing, acts of kindness, and studying my Bible, relating its teachings to my daily life. It preserves my sanity and happiness. Furthermore, feelings are temporary; we often overlook this fact and assume they’re beyond our control. Hence, I strive to remind myself daily that these feelings are merely a response to current circumstances in my life right now. I emphasize the phrase “right now” to underscore its transient nature; they can change in the blink of an eye. What makes me feel sad, frustrated, or low…right now? They’re transient—changeable.
Emotional Regulation and Mental Control
Regardless of the cause of our unpredictable feelings, we can all improve our self-regulation and learn strategies to control our feelings. Emotion regulation involves the ability to exert control over one’s emotional state. Some feelings can be mental struggles. For example, you don’t feel productive or don’t feel good. Often, it is because we compare ourselves with others, bite ourselves down, and create scenarios in our heads which can cause anxiety, depression, and lack of self-worth. How can one get such a mindset?
Focus on the Positive, practice acceptance, try something new, and act of kindness. Sometimes, I record how I feel and listen to it to help me navigate my emotions and have control of it. Speaking to a loved one or therapist in a safe environment can help. Our mental health significantly influences our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in coping with stress, interacting with others, and making sound decisions regarding our well-being.
Self-Awareness and Emotional Honesty
An equally vital skill involves the capacity to recognize one’s emotions, demanding significant self-control. Once this mastery of self-control is attained, it entails simply taking a step back, reflecting on the source of the emotion, and gracefully releasing it, progressing onward while gleaning insights from the experience. One of the methods I use is prayer.
‘Prayer simply means having an honest conversation with God.’ For example, if I am angry, I tell God how I feel and act and should and shouldn’t have acted. If, by His Grace, I act biblically, I express how I want to act. Be mindful of your thoughts and surroundings, including the people around you. I am particularly cautious about my thoughts. Having previously experienced a dark period where I harboured thoughts of self-harm, I now prioritize strength.
However, behind closed doors, I struggled with unhappiness and yearning for independence, employment, and financial stability. Yet, my lack of innovation left me feeling profoundly saddened and inadequate. This made me feel angry.
Understanding and Naming Emotions
How did I overcome these emotions? By acknowledging and labelling them. I began by probing “why” and “what” questions. Why do I feel useless, and how can I address it? Who can I confide in for support, and where can I find solace? Reflecting on past experiences, how did I cope with similar feelings? Naming my emotions has been instrumental in gaining control over them. Asking myself: what do I call these emotions I’m experiencing? Are they anger, sadness, disappointment, or resentment? What else might they be? Fear is a potent emotion often concealed beneath others. I detest fear. It has hindered me from starting my blogs and publishing a novel I’ve been working on for over a decade. Fear often acts as a barrier to achievement after numerous setbacks and disappointments. Many of us experience multiple emotions simultaneously, so it’s crucial to identify them all. Delving deeper, if I feel fear, what am I afraid of? If I feel anger, what is the source of my anger?
Self-Talk and Transformation
I used to be very hard on myself, often comparing myself to others and engaging in negative self-talk. I would dismiss positive remarks from others because I didn’t believe I deserved them. How did I break free from this mindset? I began listening to uplifting preachers who encouraged me to speak positively to myself. “Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. “Mathew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man”. This reminds me to be careful of what I say. I also started practising self-compassion and giving myself grace. I learned that experiencing emotions is a normal part of being human.
Final Reflection: Prayer and Emotional Peace
Above all, I learned to be kind to myself and cultivate acts of selfless love and Godly love, which encourage us to transcend our needs and desires daily. “Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”; reminds us that bringing our concerns to God allows His love, peace and guidance to fill our hearts.
