Community Chat

[Yuban3]

On 2/17/2014 serenity4ever said:

On 2/16/2014 Libbie Hill said:

Sounds like a great prescription for an anxiety disorder. Hold in your feelings and put them out of your mind which usually only accomplishes more stress than actually facing something and doing something about it. I see it as emotional perfectionism and I think suppressing one's feelings often leads to more stress.

I agree. Bottling up your emotions NEVER works.

[pinkskates4]

On 2/17/2014 Yuban3 said:

On 2/17/2014 serenity4ever said:

On 2/16/2014 Libbie Hill said:

Sounds like a great prescription for an anxiety disorder. Hold in your feelings and put them out of your mind which usually only accomplishes more stress than actually facing something and doing something about it. I see it as emotional perfectionism and I think suppressing one's feelings often leads to more stress.

I agree. Bottling up your emotions NEVER works.

Dwelling on them doesn't work well either.

The best thing would be to get counseling if necessary, but in any case, to productively deal with them and move on.

[rondell]

On 2/16/2014 Libbie Hill said:

The last paragraph is saying, to me at least, that letting go of the negative feelings and thoughts will allow you some happiness in your life.

In other words, you're a slave to your own negative choices. Find a way to change the choices for yourself and relax.

I probably didn't express myself very well, but, that's my interpretation of Richard Carlson's message.

[rondell]

On 2/17/2014 bikerbabe said:

Unless you experience and allow yourself to feel the negative, you can't appreciate the positive or even mature emotionally. The key is not to let your life become driven and controlled by the bad, which could be the intent of the author's quote.

YES! ITA.

I wish I would've read your response earlier, bikerbabe.

[Catitude]

On 2/17/2014 chrystaltree said:

Total rubbish. Too dumb to even be called psych babble. It's just nonsense. That would mean that if someone mugged me and stole my handbag, I shouldn't feel unhappy or angry or even sad. I should banish those thoughts from my mind....ahhh.....before I even have them. Because I'm pretty sure that you can't stop yourself from having a thought. And who says that negative thoughts and feelings are necessarily bad or harmful? Stuff happens in life and some of it is bad. That's just how works and people who are mentally healthy know life isn't all cotton candy, blue skies and hugs and kisses.

I didn't see it that way at all. I read it as you cannot be angry without the thought of being angry popping into your mind first.

[LilacTree]

I wear my emotions on my face, my voice, my "sleeve." What you see is what you get with me. I have tried subduing how I feel, but have long since given up. It is impossible for me.

And I also believe for others who do so, it's very unhealthy.

[LilacTree]

On 2/17/2014 Lila Belle said:

I don't agree with that guy at all.

Lila Belle, your "blunt" response made me grin. Now that's a honest answer!!!

[pinkskates4]

Someone once said happiness is a choice. I think that's what the quote is about.

You can choose to focus on the negative - or you can choose to deal with it and move on.

You can actively seek joy - or you can wallow in misery.

You can blame other people - or fate or you can play the cards you are dealt and make the best possible life you can.

I think that's what it means - not that you should repress your feelings or pretend to be happy.

[Yuban3]

On 2/17/2014 Ford1224 said:

I wear my emotions on my face, my voice, my "sleeve." What you see is what you get with me. I have tried subduing how I feel, but have long since given up. It is impossible for me.

And I also believe for others who do so, it's very unhealthy.

Me too.

[foundinlv]

On 2/16/2014 Jules5280 said:

I think it is a superficial statement, and not practical. Unless we are all robots without feelings, there will be unhappiness, stress and jealousy, among other emotions. When someone we love suffers, we hurt and therefore have unhappiness. "There is nothing to hold your negative feelings in place other than your own thinking." = stupid. Just a bunch of psycho babble.

I couldn't agree with you more.