Do you know how much your emotions are moulding your life…?
I have always liked thinking about emotions and feelings; even as a little girl, I was intrigued by the subtle feelings I had but didn’t quite understand. It was not until I started my university studies that I learnt that that kind of emotions are not completely conscious and that they can influence our behaviour and thoughts… Even if we are not aware of them! They are always there, on certain occasions, more evidently than others.
I guess I was about 8 when I first discovered that, sometimes, the feelings I had were responsible for the decisions I took. I’ll tell you a little story about it: It all started once, when I was setting the table at my grandmother's place, as I usually did when we visited her, except that that day there were new napkin rings to be placed.
They all had different patterns and colours and I liked some of them more than others; so when I had to set them I started to experience some odd feelings about it –such as: “Will I choose the one I like the most for me? Well… that makes me feel kind of guilty, actually -or... even worst!!- to whom will I give the one I like the least?!” So, you see, it was a real moral dilemma for me at that time. And because of the fact that I was aware of those feelings, since that very day, every time I had to set the table at my grandma’s, I could never distribute the rings without worrying about it.
As an adult, I've realised the value of that event. Following the track of that kind of subliminal states, I've acquired more and more experience about my inner self; in a way, my early perception was the onset of a very valuable key of self-knowledge and self-development.
I’d like to share with you one of the greatest things I've discovered within myself in such a way; It’s what I call the "warm inner place". This "place" is, in fact, a state of comfort, peace and quiet happiness. It's like what we feel in a comfy, friendly and hospitable place; a place where we are at ease, protected, inspired, hopeful and courageous... You probably know what I'm talking about.
Most of us have experienced this state often times since our childhood. And it's very important that we have these kind experiences in our lives. Apparently, they seem to be produced exclusively by external factors, as something given by others; such as people we love, objects we like, places we find beautiful, circumstances we enjoy and which, naturally, make us feel happy. And it’s certainly wonderful when that happens! However, what’s even more wonderful is that we can also generate these experiences from within ourselves, and cultivate this warm state in us.
May be, you are wondering about how that can be done. It kind of sounds easier said than done... In fact, usually, it is not that difficult. The first thing we need is to realise that this warm state is part of our inner self. And it's precisely because it is an inherent human condition that we can recognise the warm quality outside. In a way, the exterior experiences only point, confirm, feed, and wake... our inner warm place.
For instance, suppose there is a song that produces the comfortable state that we are talking about or a delicious smell of baking bread and boiling coffee or tea which makes us feel happy and reassured. Well, if we pay attention to those feelings and become aware of the context in which they appear, we will soon discover how we can generate this experience consciously.
In a difficult day, we can invite ourselves to this warm place by, for example, listening to that particular song, boiling a cup of tea or doing that very thing that provides us that feeling of warmth... If we keep on repeating this practice consciously, the warm feelings will be clearer and closer to us. So our awareness of our warm place will increase and, one day, we'll be able to feel this state simply by connecting with this inner part of ourselves.
And there we are… We’ve got it! Now, we can go into our warm inner place if we ever need to or feel like it. This is, of course, always very pleasant but occasionally, in times of difficulty, it can be a real support for us.
Having said that, I really believe it's very important that we experience all our feelings and emotions, the ones we enjoy or the ones we fear. Since all of them are necessary in our lives to help us deal with different situations and to reveal our real self. And yet, if we have a strong and conscious experience of this warm inner place, which is a free source of vitality, we'll have more strength to be fully present in our lives, to enjoy and create our own circumstances as much as possible.
Our warm inner place has always been there, it's up to us to offer it a proper welcome.
So… Wouldn't you give it a shot?
wouldn't you...?
