5/13/06: Unspiritual Feelings

Many of us are reluctant to express feelings generally classified as unspiritual, such as anger, fear, sadness, jealousy, insecurity, guilt, shame, etc.

Upon feeling them rise within us, we push them down, shut them out and fight with all our might to make them go away.

But the truth is there are no unspiritual feelings. Denying any feelings you have is more detrimental to you than feeling negative feelings.

Feelings linger because we hold onto them, we hold onto the thoughts that create them. By allowing yourself to feel a feeling all the way through, you find that it comes and goes in a flash. It's gone before you even have time to fight it.

Fighting a feeling does not make it go away, it only suppresses it for a time being, or makes it stronger.

The healthy way to deal with a so-called “unspiritual” feeling is not to fight it, but to face it and allow it. Be aware of the thought (the cause) that created the feeling (the effect), allow the feeling to flow through, then take action toward the cause. If you eliminate the cause, you eliminate the effect.

When there is an effect, allow it with compassion, learn from it and move on.