Thank you, God.
Somehow I came to believe that an off feeling (anxiety, doubt, insecurity, anger, sadness) was a problem and something to be challenged, fixed and overcome. I worked really hard seeking relief when I felt out of sorts. My striving and hard work temporarily paid off, but then the out-of-sort feelings always returned.
Internally, life was really, really hard.
That was then and this is now.
When familiar off feelings return, I now say a prayer and thank God for such a gift.
Off feelings are like a flashing light on the dashboard of your car; they are telling you that your thinking in the moment is off and for you to discard, distrust, and ignore the flow of thought in the moment.
Such feelings and their source are not a commentary or judgment on you or some aspect of your life. They are a commentary on your thinking in the moment.
Yes, it is this simple.
I love this quote by Albert Einstein:
“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you probably don’t understand it yourself.”
May your six-year-old self understand this truth.
Thank you, God.
Grace and peace,
Bruce