Eliminating Toxic Emotions

Brain science tells us that the build-up of toxic emotions puts our health at risk, as much as any other physical abuses like chain smoking, etc.

Not only is it important to eliminate toxic substances, or toxic food from our lives, but it is most important to rid ourselves of toxic emotions and feelings too.

We’ve all heard the saying: “Life is 10% of what happens and 90% of how you react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll

The only environment we have control of is our internal one, so the way we translate our experiences is the only control we have over them.

It is important that we remember that we can feel whatever we choose to feel. We have the power to thoughtfully decide how we want to feel when negative feelings are triggered by others, or by outside situations.

However, if you’re sloppy with your thoughts and just willy nilly react like Pavlov’s dogs at the sound of a bell. You will continue to experience the same toxic emotions over and over. It is entirely up to you of how you wish to feel in any given situation.

If you’re going to be happy it is up to you. If you’re waiting for…

… situations to change

… people to change

… events to change

… circumstances to change

…so that you can just survey the perfect circumstances and then feel happy; and if you are in fact doing that you’re not FREE!

Your freedom only ever comes when you take personal responsibility of how you feel. That’s why there is so much dysfunction in families, in relationships, and in the workplace. It’s because many people (not all thank goodness) are unwilling or reluctant to do anything about their energy, their mood, their attitude, their vibration.

Rather, if they can get others to change they will go for that first. But they’re trying to do the impossible – for example, they’re trying to change:

• Their spouse
• Their children
• Their staff
• Their colleagues

Ask me, I know all about trying to get others to change and it does not work! I found that I had to change! And when I did, amazingly, many of my relationships changed for the better! Ask my children.

Remember that every day in every situation…

• You can catch people doing something wrong or you can catch them doing something right
• You can remember things that irritate you, frustrate you, or you can remember the things that delight you
• You can worry about something or you can look forward to something good
• You can nit-pick or you can praise

These are proficiencies not unlike playing a musical instrument – the more you play it, the more you get good at it until it becomes second nature, and then you’re capable of playing beautiful music.

Wise Guys

“I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson’s. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it. In those choices, there’s freedom to do a lot of things in areas that I wouldn’t have otherwise found myself in.” – Michael J. Fox

“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways – either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength. Thanks to the teachings of Buddha, I have been able to take this second way.” – Dalai Lama

“The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” – George Bernard Shaw

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” – Wayne Dyer