i experience great power and beauty in emotions of all types. my judgements about good/bad, desirable/undesirab le- i just don't take them very seriously anymore. thought is. emotion is. my understanding is that everything that is, arises out of the ultimate reality that permeates all. how could a feeling then be 'wrong'? the cultural conditioning  is very strong to reach for 'positive emotion' and eradicate 'negative emotion'. these labels are ones that the culture has given them however; these states are not inherently anything. this striving for 'positivity' may be another form of pleasure seeking...the way out is always through. in fact they are often the same.

the misunderstanding around emotions is that we use them and only them for guidance when considering course of action. emotion, like thought, ego, body, etc. come with the experience of being human in the space/time construct. they can be valuable tools. the stronger my connection with the 'witness', that in me which is eternal/unchanging, the more natural it is for me to simply watch the information coming in from the emotional body, the physical body, the mind, etc and then a decision for action (including non-action) arises from a more integrated place.

emotions are not problematic at all. we need them to help us navigate. they come with the human package, and everything here is part of the limitless life energy. everything. i burned up an incredible amount of energy for years trying to do away with unpleasant emotion. then i realized they were only unpleasant because i had been taught so and conditioned away from them. when i relaxed about it all and let it be (which sounds so simple...<g>), there was nothing to be afraid of- not even fear! and so much energy freed up for other things.

emotions come and go like weather. they are part of what we create with, a color on our palette so to speak.

at the same time, it's important to cultivate a relationship with these aspects of ourselves that recognizes the ultimate reality of who we are, Awareness, as the primary prespective we wish to live from, if that is what we wish. everything else is held within this. emotions are 'not the boss of me"! or thought or even physical sensation. but all of these things provide part of the information needed to make an informed choice.

and if nothing else, when we stop struggling with ourselves so much around our feelings, thoughts, etc, a way is opened up for a peace that excludes nothing, not even our moments of not-peacefulness. it all exists within Awareness itself. and we are freed to let go into that greater awareness, knowing there is nothing really to worry about, even as what we do here is important. yet another paradox...

ã 2008 Calleaghn Kinnamon