feEL iT 2 B fRee . . . (part 3)

it'll aLL mAke SeNse sOOn . . . 

wELL heLLo tHeRe!

Earlier in the week, the video from TheChopraWell (click on it if you haven't already watched it!) gave us 7 things to do to get rid of crappy overwhelm-ish gross feelings. The steps are:  

1. Take responsibility for your present emotions
2. Witness what you are feeling
3. Label your feelings
4. Express your feelings
5. Share your feelings with someone you trust
6. Release toxic emotions through a ritual
7. Celebrate the release of the feelings

Yesterday I gave my translation of the first 3 steps. Here's my take on the 4th and 5th steps:

4. Express your feelings: this step can be done with a chum or alone (I used to rip phone books, scream into a pillow, or hit a punching bag when I was mad, for example). A friend of mine also used to do PUSH UPS, and YELL in his car! When I was sad, I used to throw myself on the floor and weep (especially after my dad and later, my brother, died) or crawl into a ball of bawling or a hEaP of tears :( . . . Sometimes pets or stuffed animals can be awesome listeners ('cuz they lick or sop up your tears!) and they won't tell you what to do or give you advice. If you don't have a person to talk to, a diary or journal will do. Prayers to the Universe or maybe to a Higher Power (whatever yours may be!) are also a great idea . . . as a matter of fact, some of my most enlightening conversations over the years have been with God . . .

5. Share your feelings with someone you trust: this is important 'cuz then we don't feel so alone. I have been known in the past to share feelings in hopes of manipulating others into feeling sorry for me or taking care of me--nOt PoWeRfUL & NoT a GoOd ideA (we really have to learn self-care around healing our emotional states)-- or even worse, I have shared my feelings with someone who was toxic and made me feel worse. It's bad enough that I shame myself, Or, they argue with me for how I feel or tell me not to feel that way . . . P.S. one of my besties told me that it really helps to ask your friend to just listen and let you vent without trying to solve it--that way s/he knows what they're geting into and what's expected!

Whew! We're almost through to the last step. Secretly, I realized that the reason I have still felt a bit crapp-ish is that I didn't really finish the last two steps--super important for letting go of the yucky stuff with 

aBsOluTeLy nO tUrNinG bAcK!

Tomorrow, we'll check out the last two, and I'll figure out a release ritual and celebration! Wooooooooo Hoooooooooo! cAn'T wAiT!

tOOdlEs & tOOtS!

;0) dAnA