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Folklore and Feelings
I came across this startling statistic: Humans can think of 60,000 stories and feel 300,000 emotions every day.
With all of that folklore and feelings bombarding us, it’s a wonder we get anything done!
Yet when we understand that we think of so many stories and encounter so many emotions in the course of a day, it underscores the importance that we must learn to carefully control the stories we tell ourselves and manage our emotions for us to function optimally.
Asking ourselves “Am I telling myself a story?” challenges the tales, many of which are false, that we tell ourselves. Tales that sometimes fail to assume good faith in those around us (“My coach hates me.” or “I know Mrs. Jones is gossiping about the new leotards.”). Or tales that chip away at our own self-worth (“I’ll never learn to kip.” or “If I were a better coach, parents wouldn’t complain.”)
Being aware that we feel so many emotions allows us to consider that not every emotion we feel is in fact reality and reminds us if we wait long enough (or not really that long at all!) because a new feeling will chase it down!
Stories and feelings are valuable ways for us to make sense of our world, but they are not always reliable and are not always completely accurate.
Challenge your stories and sit with your feelings before you act. You might be come happier and have less conflict in your life if you do!
JAG GYM Blog 