Fickle feelings

To live by feelings alone would be like a diet consisting of ONLY chocolate. Don’t get me wrong I love good feelings as much as I love my chocolate, however to rely on both would be unhealthy and not realistic.

When I was younger I lived on feelings like a car that needs petrol to keep running. If there were no good feelings my day would come to a halt.

If I didn’t feel like it I didn’t go to school or work! If I had an argument with someone and didn’t feel like apologising, then I wouldn’t. If I didn’t feel like getting out of bed then I stayed there till after midday. If something felt too hard I just quit. I chased my feelings around each day like an obsessed fan chasing their idol.

Then there were the times I made BAD decisions based on my feelings. If a boy gave me just a little attention my hormonal feelings convinced me he was my knight in shining armour! My feelings often led me astray as my brain was uninvited from the decision making process. These decisions often in turn brought about unnecessary heart break and pain, which was always a surprise to me as I was so convinced that my feelings were correct.

FEELING GOOD gives humans a certain buzz. I love the days when I wake up and everything just feels great.  My circumstances may not have changed by the morning yet my feelings are upbeat and positive, like having an extra spring in my step.  On those types of days I can buzz around getting housework done in no time. I feel organised and happy as I decide that today is the day that I will tackle those unfinished tasks or odd jobs that have been waiting for several months for some attention.  It is amazing how much we get done when we feel like it.

I love the days when I feel that I will do great after I finally complete the psychology course. On those days I picture myself receiving the certificate in hand and anticipate where the future will take me after that. I love the days when I am excited about blogging! I imagine all the lives that have the potential of being touched and encouraged. I love the days when I feel hopeful that little ole’ me could have a book published one day, which has the potential to impact the everyday person and make a difference in the world.

BUT……. The reality is the day after a buzzing day I may wake up not feeling so great. I may find that my feelings are perhaps tired, low, negative, angry, hurt, sad, confused, worried, overwhelmed, irritated etc. They are the days when someone usually asks, “did you get out of the wrong side of bed today?. On those flat days everything that I loved about the psychology course, blogging and book writing may feel over the top and impossible. My feelings may take me on a stomach dropping roller coaster ride for the day as I consider the possibility that perhaps I won’t be able to accomplish my dreams.

Feelings do have their place in our lives yet they can be so very unreliable. If we consider feelings in the context of intuition then we should pay attention. Intuition is a sense of knowing about something or someone that one can’t really put their finger on, it isn’t visible naturally however there can be a sense or feeling to be careful in a situation or to not go to a certain place as something simply doesn’t feel right.

In our very hurried world we would do better to not rush off with every fickle feeling we have but to use our brains in the decision making process. Everything worth value does not come to you by feelings alone, it takes work and effort.

There are occasions we may need to put our feelings aside and consider for a moment what the right decision should be. In our response to someone for instance, we could consider the other persons feelings for a change.

Will our actions be detrimental to that person?

If there is anything that I have learnt in life so far it is that even when I do not feel like it, IF I choose more wisely and put another person before myself in a decision then I will be rewarded with happier feelings.  I may have had very low feelings in a given day and I have chosen despite my feelings to help someone and found that all of a sudden my low turns into a high!

The older I get the less time I have to wait for the right feelings before I make the right decision. In my younger days feelings dictated all too much of my life and I really did waste a lot of precious time.

The environment we live in today often sends us a message to do whatever FEELS GOOD. Feeling good is always appealing and we are allowed to feel good there is no law against that. However if feeling good is all that we are led with we may get ourselves in trouble or alternately our lives may not move forward as we are waiting for that feeling.

Everything in balance and moderation is the best way to go. Consider all of your options before you are led by your feelings and outweigh the consequences that could follow. It may save you a tonne of heartache and pain.

Feelings are fickle and they shift and change all too quickly so be a person that looks at the overall picture before jumping in too deep just on feelings alone.

Don’t let your feelings dictate your day to day life or your future, keep going in the area that you are passionate about despite your feelings. You may be inspired one day and not so much the next however keep going.

Enjoy the days when you are feeling great but don’t put your life on hold when your feelings are negative after all the good feelings will come back again.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin