“Mindfulness requires that we not over-identify with thoughts and feelings so that we are caught up and swept away by negativity”.
-Brene Brown
Part of the mindfulness experience is to learn how to be an impartial observer of our own emotions. I am what some people call a gut type personality. What this means is that I tend to react quickly to what is happening around me or to me, sometimes without thinking. This is not always a good thing. On a good day my rational mind will calm me down before I do or say anything stupid. Feelings are rarely rational so they should not always be taken seriously. I am not my anger, my cynicism, or any other negative emotion I may display. These feelings are often irrational, seemingly uncontrollable and instinctual responses to whatever is going on around me. With the practice of mindfulness one can learn to observe their emotions without falling victim to them. When I feel angry, I can ask myself what is it about this person or situation that is making me angry? Why is it that whenever certain people speak I always go negative? When I feel cynical, what is it that is making me feel that way? If I can catch my anger before it is out of control, I can strive to respond more calmly. If I feel my cynicism boiling over, I can strive to see the positive in a situation. When I recognize my own negativity, I can work to turn it around. I find my own negative emotions and feelings to be very exhausting. When I am calm, positive, and hopeful, I am usually energized and I see my world in a different light.
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