Feelings ... Nothing More Than Feelings

I am still learning to confront my emotions. Fear. Rage. I get disproportionately angry with stupidity. A friend told me to "Just stop it," as if the emotions are coming from a faucet and I can just shut it off like that.

But, they are right. We really do control (or decide NOT to control) our feelings ... or at least, our responses to our feelings. I can get angry and cuss and wave the Main Finger at someone ... or I can get angry, decide the anger does me no good, and then decide not to freak out. Yes, I did get angry, but I decided not to ride my "right" to express and vent my anger, and in a moment the anger has smoldered out, rather than flaring up when I added a splash of gasoline to it. I did not repress my anger ... I expressed it by deciding not to go ballistic. I recognized the feeling, then decided what to do about it. (I'm working on it. It is a HABIT of many years, and will take some time to "break.")

The same is true with fear.

It is normal to experience some fear. No one is a "freak" for feeling fear. But everyone ... EVERYONE ... can decide how to deal with the feeling. I have faced a lot of fears over the last few years (no rhyme intended, so don't get all bended), and have found some ways to respond without freezing up and other bad reactions.

Don't try to not feel fear ... that's psychotic! Just decide that the feeling "is not the boss of me", make a decision, and tell fear to watch you go through with the rational decision you make, and learn that it does no good to scream and shout at you.