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EMOTIONAL SEE-SAW by Randy Riis Many people live in a constant undulation
of emotion throughout most of their lives, and never realize what they are
needlessly putting themselves through. Things “go
right” one day, and these people enjoy good feelings; the next day may bring
different feelings which they would call “in the
dumps.” Up and down they go. Those who enjoy the highest
peaks of rapture often tarn out to be the ones who also reach the deepest
pits of despair. This undulating nature is something everyone can
eventually recognize, find the cause of, and learn to control. Most people realize there are times when
they experience especially joyful feelings, and there are times
which are depressing to an equal extent. Since emotions are real, most
people would rather enjoy those they consider good and alleviate those they
consider bad. Why does anyone live in such an unstable manner, not knowing from one day to the next what kind of emotions
they will encounter? Those who ride this see-saw
have programmed themselves to react to persons, places and things in their
environment in a prescribed manner. Since childhood
they have assigned their emotions to the events in their environment fully
believing that those things outside of themselves were the cause of their
feelings. Almost every day emotions are attached to
something in their environment. The expression, “This bad weather makes me
feel caged in,” or “he makes me happy,” are examples of giving credit to
something outside themselves for an inner feeling. In essence
they are letting their environment control their lives. If the weather or
another person really was the cause of emotion and had the power to cause
gladness or sadness, then everyone would react the same way to each of the
different types of environment every time — which is obviously not true. The
summer rain to the farmer growing a crop has a far different meaning than to
the girl planning to spend the day on the beach. The rain means prosperity to
the farmer, but disappointment to the girl. However, the joy of the farmer
and the depression of the girl are their own doing, not the rain’s. Emotions are a quality of Mind and are controlled by the individual. Whatever
emotions a person has pertaining to the weather or to other people is
dependent upon the program that person has developed for himself.
Nothing outside themselves can cause them to become emotional. Those who are still living in this
uncertain undulating life style might ask themselves, “Am I giving my
environment the power to make me happy or sad?” If they find it so, then they
may decide to jump off their see-saw onto more
stable ground where they can more easily climb the gradual incline which
leads to human perfection. |
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