Download and Print the Handouts
Would be best to have them in front of you as you take the class so you can follow along and do the exercises as we cover them.
Download the 3 support audio classes/interviews
Keep the learning going and either take these with you like a podcast or play them to help deepen and anchor the learning.
The Breakdown of the Steps
Feelings do not just happen. They are a result of a thought and interpretation, whether it is conscious or subconscious. First, we observe or think something next, we interpret it. Based on what we think about the situation and what it means to us, we then have a feeling. Two people can be looking at the same situation and interpret it very differently. What it means to them will determine how they feel about it. There is no one “right” way to interpret anything. All negative emotion happens when we feel or perceive a need that is not being met.
We have to start off with acknowledging what you have power over and what you can control. Other people are walking around with their own wounds and story, so while you may think someone else can cause you pain, they can only reflect back to you what needs to be healed inside of you. The only things you have power over and can control are YOUR thoughts, beliefs, interpretations, feelings, and reactions.
Emotion is energy and once you have been triggered, I first want to encourage you to allow yourself a safe space to feel the emotion. It’s not easy to problem solve something when you are caught in the wave of energy that is the emotion. Jumping too quickly to figure it out can also suppress that energy inside your body, which we don’t want because negative emotional build up will perpetuate addictions and lead to physical disease.
Please do not skip the feeling part. Emotions are like the weather, they may turn into a tornado or earthquake, but they will pass once the energy is released. Then move onto the three-step process to problem solving so you can get the need met and resolve the issue. Non Violent Communication, by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, breaks this down into simple and usable tools.
- Identify the emotion(s).
- Identify the need(s).
- Create at least one strategy of getting those needs met that do not require anyone else to do or be different.
Keep the Momentum Going!
This mini course was a great start to more emotional awareness and processing but sometimes we need more time and more work to integrate. Once a month, members of the community gather for a group coaching call to work on processing emotions, beliefs and patterns. The Inner Circle Membership also includes a separate podcast where the episodes often dive a little deeper into these concepts and break them down even further.
