In some of our seminars,one consultant like to draw a picture of a ladder on the board and call it “the ladder of selves.”
On the very bottom he writes”The physical,
in the middle he puts “The Emotional.”
and on top he places “The Mind”.
We can move up or down this ladder by the sheer force of will,although most people dot know they have that option.
By traveling up the ladder,past the physical,through the emotional,and into your mind,you have the opportunity to be creative and thoughtful.You can see the possibilities.
Many of us,however,never get past emotional section of the ladder.When we are stuck there we begin thinking with our feelings instead of thinking with our minds.If you hurt my feelings,and I am angry and resentful,I might give you a long and eloquent speech about what is wrong with you and how you operate.But,because I am thinking with my feelings instead of mind,I am destroying something with my speech instead of creating an understanding.People do this without knowing it.They let their emotions speak for them,instead of their thoughts.So what you hear is fear,anger,sadness,or other emotions put to words,but never creating anything.
If you can picture this ladder inside of you,and start to notice that you are letting your feelings do your thinking and speaking,you can move up.You can get creative and really think and then speak.As Emmet Fox says,”Love is always creative and fear is always destructive”
Go ahead and feel your feelings.But when its time to talk,you let your mind into the conversation.Your mind is what motivates you to your highest performance,not your feelings.