Momentum For Monday, October 3rd 2022
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1:2)
Failure can ruin some people. For others, it's a catalyst. For me, it has often been one of the biggest teachers of my life. One of the greatest areas I have failed and struggled to improve is that of my emotional health (I still have much work to do though). And since October is Emotional Wellness month, that's what we're going to hit on for the duration of the month (plus, I could shamelessly plug my next book coming out- I wish I could say I'm sorry about it, but alas, I'm not haha). I'll give some of my best core practices and even some resources if you're interested.
First, one of the biggest things that I had to learn to do was be aware of my emotions. If you want to improve your over-all health, your emotional health is important. If you want to become better at business or your job, learn emotional intelligence. Emotions are more important than we want to credit, male or female, no matter how stoic you may be.
Emotional awareness must be an intentional practice and not something that we naturally improve on as we age. You can go to your grave and have awful emotional awareness and maturity. Let me also say that emotional awareness is not equal to regular intelligence. The two are very different and we probably know very educated people that are completely clueless with emotions. So, keep that separate.
Journaling was one of the best things that helped me become aware of my emotions. I made myself identify how I felt in that moment and why (you don’t have to journal every day because I don’t, but it is a great habit for many reasons). Now it's such an easy thing to keep notice of for me. I even know the danger zones that trigger me into spiraling or tempt me into acting out. It also serves as like a check engine light in a car. If I'm constantly irritated and frustrated, something isn't right. I'll dig to find what's going on there.
My suggestion, start doing this as often as you remember or can. Label the emotion as precisely as possible and if it's not obvious, ask God to show you why.
Let me add a caveat here though. Sensing emotions is spiritual stuff. It's not just practical or logical. Becoming aware of feelings and what provokes them can actually help you sense the presence of God more. It can also help you sense other spiritual forces at play. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can navigate emotions correctly and maturely. And while I don't say this often on Monday Momentum posts, feel free to hit me back with questions on this. I know it's not an easy subject to pilot. Have a good week!
"Patience is better than power, and controlling one's emotions, than capturing a city."
Proverbs 16:32