How many times have you been mad at yourself for feeling negative emotions? For example, you get mad and say hurtful things or you lose patience and act inappropriately.  Then afterwards you feel bad and start to beat yourself up.  Have you ever experienced that?

Being mad and losing patience are examples of reactions. Reactions are something we experience.  The beautiful part about reactions is they bless us with awareness.

In everyday life you relate to people, things and situations around you.  There will be times when something doesn’t feel good inside. Something happening outside of you brings up some ‘unrest’ inside of you.  That unrest then expresses itself in the form of a reaction.

Reactions are not intended to be used to beat your self up.  Reactions are about you and how you feel.  They can easily lead you to any unrest you feel inside.  Until your reactions surface you may have no idea you were even experiencing the unrest.

Consider any kind of reaction as being like a red flag!  Red flags are warning signs trying to get your attention.  When you see a red flag or when you experience reacting in some way start to pay attention to what’s going on around you.  Become aware of the people, things and situations involved.  Something is taking place outside of you causing you to experience unrest inside.  The unrest is causing you to react in that moment.  Doesn’t matter what it is or how little or big it is, start looking for warning signs. This is huge!

Let’s say you were irritated when the store clerk was too busy to help you.  You vocalized inappropriate words to that clerk and left the store.

Later you got to thinking about it and realized you really reacted more than normal.  Firstly, that is awareness! Aware you reacted! Using this example, the red flag had to do with getting irritated with the store clerk.  In that moment, the store clerk did or didn’t do something causing you to react. Where do you go from there?

When you replay the scenario over again in your mind look for the unrest you are feeling inside of yourself. That unrest will express itself through your thoughts, your feelings and the sensations in your physical body. The unrest also has to do with the timing of things and any added stress points you experience at the time.

You’re intention is to ‘observe’ not to ‘control, change or fix.’  Unrest surfaces as reactions which blesses you with awareness.  I will talk more about that at another time.

Awareness is a necessary step in your learning and growing process.  Why would that be?

The more you are aware of what’s going on inside of you the more empowered you feel to bring about resolution for yourself.  Resolution transforms relationships or all kinds.

Wherever you are on your journey, may you find what works for you…find your own truth…and you will always be guided to feel at peace inside.

Sheila Unique, Self Empowerment and Inner Strength Expert!