Are your emotions running wild, or are your feelings guiding your actions?

Do you use the words feelings and emotions interchangeably?

Understanding the difference between feelings vs emotions can give you amazing insight into your own reactions and the reactions of others around you.

It can explain your own reactions and the reactions of others around you and why we struggle to communicate.

And feel heard.
Or validated.

The easiest way to define the difference between a feeling and an emotion is how long it lasts. When I first heard this, it blew my mind. And sent me down this investigative and enlightening rabbit hole.

If you are experiencing a feeling, and it lasts longer than 6 hours, it's not a feeling, it's an emotion.

Why is that? Why does 6 hours even matter?

A feeling is the present moment.
The biochemical reaction in your body to the thoughts you’re having in that moment.

When we connect to our feelings in the present moment we have more opportunities to take action or recognize where something can change.

I shared this passage from Yvonne Perry, a Western Mystical Shaman that I landed upon in my research. There is so much to unpack in these 3 short paragraphs:

Feelings and emotions can both have an effect upon your body and mind. Because they are rooted in some past experience, emotions try to rule your choices by reminding you of consequences, and keeping you stuck in your past. Generated by the small self, they are usually triggered by a current dilemma that reminds you of what happened in a similar previous experience. Because they tend to be fear-based and can contain other people’s energy, emotions are very unreliable and self-limiting.

Feelings are a result of the life force energy flowing through you as they register a response within your physical body. Unlike emotions, feelings are yours and yours alone. They are painstakingly honest as they urge you to take a look at what is transpiring for you in the here and now. They are not based on past regrets/experiences, nor are they concerned about the future. Therefore, they may encourage you to give up an old belief pattern or shift into a new way of living or viewing life. Feelings give you options and allow you to be in control of what action to take based upon the energetic information they provide.

Emotions are not real—they can and will lie to you. Feelings are real, and always tell you the truth, even though you may not like their message or wish it were different.

We can resolve so much of the conflict around us in understanding the powerful difference between these two words.

The first step in this process is validation.

We have experienced it when we feel like someone is acting in a way that seems a bit irrational? And you have probably even caught yourself doing the same thing. Especially if you are introspective.

When we confront them about it or try to address their actions, they feel like we don't get what they're going through. It's all about validation - acknowledging and understanding their experience as their truth in that moment.

Giving yourself the same grace that you give someone can lead to enlightening self-discovery.

Our emotions have the ability to transport us to a whole different place, creating a reality in our minds and bodies that might not match the present. Our feelings help us identify what is going on.

Since we can’t change what someone else is experiencing, we have to start with ourselves.

Especially for us moms. We want to help our children or even our pets when they are suffering. Our desire to show them that what they're going through might not be as real as it seems only results in backlash.

As much as we want to comfort and make someone feel better, we first need to learn how to sit with our own feelings. We should process them, understand what messages they bring, and recognize when they are tied to past events, experiences, or beliefs we've picked up along the way.

Every person's reality is unique because it is influenced by our perceptions and mindsets in any given moment.

But let me be clear, all emotions aren't bad!

They are like strings, some long, some short, and they can connect to many different things. They can become activated by something seemingly unrelated to the event itself. On the other hand, feelings are very much in the present, sending us important messages right here and now.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your intense feelings are being influenced by past experiences or patterns?
It's easy to blame yourself for these emotions or feel frustrated when others can't understand your response.

In this episode, we also revisit “The Thought Model” by Brooke Casitillo as it relates to this new understanding.

C:Circumstance ➡️ T:Thought ➡️ F:Feeling ➡️ A:Action ➡️ R:Result

When emotions are in the F spot; we get the same results over and over.

Recognizing the subtle difference between these 2 words can transform your life!

COME SAY HI

WELCOME TO THE IN HER EYES PODCAST COMMUNITY!