THE EMOTIONAL SELF

The Emotional Self forms the part of us that has evolved beyond the ‘monkey mind’ or ‘reptilian brain’ (the less evolved aspects of self).

It understands and embraces its emotional triggers and is continuously seeking growth. It is striving to function from an emotionally balanced position without overly suppressing or overtly expressing itself.

Ask yourself, “Who would I be without my extreme emotions ruling my sense of self and my decision making abilities?”

A gentle reminder that as we embark upon self-enquiry, please be sure to meditate, breathe and bring yourself into the space of the heart.

If you are new to meditation or my practice, I invite you to join our Facebook group, Playing Bigger Playing Beautiful and familiarise yourself with my philosophies and coaching style. Once your join request is approved, you will be greeted with a meditation to get you started. Click here to access it.  

Tuning into The Emotional Self is essential for those who wish to reclaim control from their emotions and to become their own emotional guide. Awareness of The Emotional Self allows us to understand that we are not our emotions. It enables us to observe our emotions, alongside feeling them, without losing sight of our values or greater purpose.  

Are you able to differentiate between what your head (rational brain), heart (emotional brain) or gut (intuitive brain) are telling you? And can you use this information to connect with your spirituality, make wise decisions, learn from the past, avoid unhealthy patterning and even use that wisdom to grow your business?

Our self-enquiry exercise, delves into The Emotional Self. We will examine our response to the overarching notions arising when we are emotionally triggered, experience setbacks or must make decisions. 

The goal is to attain balance, neither to suppress nor be overwhelmed by our emotions. Achieving balance in The Emotional Self allows us to be the custodian of our emotions and to step away from being ruled by them. Though finding balance sounds simple, for many, it is challenging to feel but not be pulled under, to feel without shutting down.  

A tool that I recently came across in a session run by the school of philosophy was simply to ask the question ‘what would a wise person do?’ 

This simple question creates space and invites us to consciously respond rather than react.

For example, when you experience a disappointment or even a betrayal, are you able to sit with your emotions, to feel and observe them before choosing a path of resilience and inner peace? Are you able to respond to a situation, rather than react? Are you able to experience a setback and not be derailed by it?

Levels of Understanding

If you are familiar with my work, and in particular with my model of emotional self-inquiry The 6 Selves™,  you will know that there are three levels of understanding that inform connections to the self and how it manifests:

 Level 1 – Intellect (Mind) – How we comprehend and make sense of the world around us 

Level 2 – Emotion (Body) – How we physically feel the experience

Level 3  – Energetic (Spirit) – How we connect in to something greater than ourselves  

The Emotional Self – Mind

In this post, we are looking at the Intellect (Mind) and how this connects to The Emotional Self. Please ask yourself the following prompting questions. You will notice they are repetitive in nature. Please know they are designed this way to ignite deeper personal inquiry.

  1. What are my thoughts when I become emotionally triggered? 
  2. What are my thoughts when I consciously choose to respond rather than react? 
  3. What are my thoughts about my ability to make small decisions? 
  4. What are my thoughts about my ability to make big decisions? 
  5. If I notice I have made a mistake, or have taken a seemingly wrong turn in life, what thoughts hold me in a stuck state of being?
  6. If I notice I have made a mistake, or have taken a seemingly wrong turn in life, what thoughts help me to move forward in life and business?
  7. What are my thoughts when I witness someone around me being reactive?
  8. What are my thoughts when I witness someone around me being responsive?

This practice of self-enquiry enables us to check in with ourselves. You may like to sit with your thoughts, or you may prefer to use these as journal entry prompts. Whatever you choose, I hope it opens up your awareness of The Emotional Self and how this part of you impacts your life. 

My next post will further explore The Emotional Self with a special focus on how it connects to the Emotion (Body) at a level two understanding. I look forward to sharing it with you. 

Big Love, 

Deb x 

For more information on how to work with me to go deeper into the benefits of The 6 Selves™ and the outcomes you can achieve when you focus intentionally on these areas visit https://debbiezita.com/coaching/