PATHWAY TO JOY AND HEALING

We are creators of our reality.  Our minds create our current reality through our thoughts in turn forming our present emotions.  These emotions determine if we are happy, sad, angry, etc. When we have been abused or traumatized in the past or the present, we are reminded of these past memories triggered by external forces or within our own thoughts, in turn recreating a cycle or loop of reliving our past pain. This pain then triggers our negative emotions.  We then repeat this cycle or loop in recalling this pain, and then re-experiencing our negative emotions again and again.

When we spend hours repeating our painful memories to our friends and families, this is called ruminating.  This behavior keeps these thoughts fresh and cycling in our minds.  Through this loop, we repeatedly trigger our negative emotions, thereby re-experiencing the painful memories, and in turn, repeatedly feeling the negative emotions.  You get my point.

The first step in dealing with negative thoughts and then triggering the negative emotions associated with them, is to be aware of our thoughts and reactions.  Be aware and mindful of raising these memories or thoughts.  Are you bringing them up to face and release them or are you just ruminating?  Are you coming to understanding about the causes and origin of these thoughts or are you just repeating these thoughts and triggering negative emotions in your automatic loop?  For many of us, we also use addiction and other forms of escape or avoidance to cope with these negative emotions.

Be aware and mindful of your thoughts and understand what is raising these negative thoughts then triggering negative emotions.  Practice observing these thoughts without judgment, and then allowing the negative emotions to rise without reacting to them.  Sit with these negative emotions and observe them without judgment, and allow them to pass and release.  This can happen within seconds, minutes, hours, or days.  Try this exercise as many times as necessary when recalling past negative memories/thoughts and experiencing the subsequent triggered negative emotions. (Copyright 2015 Awakening Journey with All Rights Reserved)