Our eyes, facial expressions, and behavior expose our emotions and innermost feelings. We can usually tell when someone is happy, at peace, in love, energetic, confident, innocent, etc., or quite the opposite, depressed, angry, hateful, tired, scared, guilty, etc. Making direct eye contact is a great communication skill to have. The next time you engage with another person, look straight into their eyes. If you look close enough, you will see through to their very existence.
I never knew there was a difference between feelings and emotions. I always thought they were the same. According to Philosopher, John Voris, there is a distinction.
“Learning the difference between feelings and emotions is crucial in understanding ourselves and initiating personal long-term change. Experts in many fields of behavior agree that our deep feelings come from an unchanging belief about life that holds our identity together, while our emotions are purely physically based, subject to change and are basically reactions to life events.
Your sense of life is an emotional form, in which your world experience finds value, your reason for existence and defines your relationship with other things that exists. Emotions are an abstract, metaphysical state of mind; they are essential impressions of the world, and your relationship with it. Emotions establish your attitude toward reality, and provides your drive for all of life’s pleasures. Additionally, these emotions are connected to your biological systems, and are designed to alert you of danger, or to draw you to something pleasurable. Finally, emotions are intense but temporary. To have them be any other way would be far too stressful on your body! The constant stress would eventually lead to some very serious physical, and mental ailments.
Feelings are products of emotions. But unlike short term, intense emotions, feelings are: low-key, stable and sustained over time.
Here are the differences in a nutshell:
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Feelings:
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Emotions:
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Feelings tell us “how to live.”
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Emotions tell us what we “like” and “dislike.”
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Feelings state: ”There is a right and wrong way to be.“
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Emotions state: ”There are good and bad actions.”
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Feelings state: “Your emotions matter.”
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Emotions state: ”The external world matters.”
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Feelings establish our long term attitude toward reality.
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Emotions establish our initial attitude toward reality.
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Feelings alert us to anticipated dangers and prepares us for action.
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Emotion alert us to immediate dangers and prepares us for action
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Feelings ensure long-term survival of self. (body and mind.)
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Emotions ensure immediate survival of self. (body and mind.)
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Feelings are Low-key but Sustainable.
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Emotions are Intense but Temporary.
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Happiness: is a feeling.
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Joy: is an emotion.
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Worry: is a feeling.
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Fear: is an emotion.
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Contentment: is a feeling.
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Enthusiasm: is an emotion.
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Bitterness: is a feeling.
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Anger: is an emotion.
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Love: is a feeling.
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Lust: is an emotion.
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Depression: is a feeling.
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Sadness: is an emotion.
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So, why should you be concerned with the difference between emotions and feelings anyway? Because the way you behave in this world, is the end result of your feelings and emotions. Learning the difference can provide you with a better understanding of not only yourself, but of the people around you.”
For additional information, go to: Authentic Systems, Motivation Research & Development @ http://authentic-systems.com/difference-between-emotions-and-feelings/ and http://johnvoris.com/featured-articles/difference-between-emotions-and-feelings/.
Life is like a puzzle. When all the pieces come together and everything makes sense, you will finally learn personal truth. There are only a few key pieces to the puzzle, but they are quite significant and life-changing. The most important piece to the puzzle is a positive mental attitude. This is what you believe about yourself, others, and life. Your life will be so much better when you keep your thoughts on the positive side. Although your beliefs, thoughts, and emotions impact your health and physical being tremendously, the other critical pieces are: a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep. What goes into the body should be nourishing and nutritious to keep the body functioning. You must move your body around to keep the positive energy flowing and of course rest to reenergize. The last piece to the puzzle is mindful meditation. Meditation helps you to quiet your mind, deal with your thoughts, and to become more “aware” of your inner most being. Meditation connects your inner power with the Creator/universe/God. This is when you listen to receive guidance, clarity, and direction for life.
Before I started meditating, my life was chaotic. I was a very anxious and uptight person. My mind and thoughts would go a mile a minute. I would worry about things that were out of my control; I got upset so easily over silly stuff, I would forget where I put things, etc. Life was always a struggle. When I started meditating, my life slowly began to change. Amazing things started happening. My life is more balanced, my emotions are under control, and my days go smoother. Life seems easier now, and it is getting better and better every day in every way. There are no meds, drugs, alcohol, or anything to ingest. Meditation is just pure and natural being. Here is what meditation has done for me:
Meditation is empowering, enlightening, and transformative. I challenge you to try it for just one week straight for at least 15-20 minutes each day. It takes a little discipline, but I know you can do it!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a ‘happily ever after’ ending to all stories? If you are in a relationship or looking for a partner, I have to tell you, a ‘happily ever after’ ending is achievable. Typically, this type of ending involves a relationship, but even if you are satisfied being single, my message applies to you too. First, let me ask you this, do you want a happy ending to your story? If you answered yes, you can truly make it happen. You may have to do a little bit of work, but it will be worth every second of it.
If you are already in a relationship, take your partner completely out of the equation, so there is no blaming, criticizing, accusing, etc. Do you have a clear perception of yourself? There are probably qualities that you like (strengths), but there are indeed some that need improvement (weaknesses), and perhaps you’re not even aware of them. Start by assessing your entire self: your character, thoughts, behavior, emotions, fears, habits, doubts, health, appearance, etc. It’s all part of the package. You have to become who you want to attract in your life. For example, be a good listener if you want people to pay attention to your opinions and beliefs; be more forgiving if you want others to forgive you; show consideration and appreciation toward others if you are looking for respect, etc. Not only will you be helping yourself, but you will also bring out the best in your partner. It’s a win/win situation. Maintaining balance, self-awareness, and being present are critical in the process for manifesting a ‘happily ever after’ ending.
I have been evaluating myself for years, and to this day, I still ask myself how can I improve? I am going to have a fairytale ending to my story with my prince charming!
Keeping a balanced lifestyle is important for well-being and happiness. Do your job, but take time for other activities or hobbies you enjoy doing. Exercise regularly but get proper rest. Eat healthy and then every once in a while indulge in a favorite dessert. Love yourself but don’t be narcissistic. Stay strong but be humble. Be confident but not arrogant. Be kind and willing to help others, but avoid being taken advantage of. Keep your emotions under control. When we experience loss, it is normal and natural to grieve as part of the healing process.
A must see movie, “The Giver.” In an ideal world where there is no pain or suffering, no emotions, and no choices, a young graduate is selected as receiver of memories and discovers the “real” world. Here’s the link to check it out:
deborah parise 