All of these books.  All of these studies.  All of these theories.  And last but not least all of these experiences are available for you, to read. Granted they are not all about “Must feel an emotion before you can change“ but the theme is there. My interpretation Emotions are the gateway to transformation, or evolving yourself. The most successful advertisements present emotions or an emotional connection to get clients to change to their product.

I coach brilliant people all the time.  I am inside wildly successful businesses every day.  Emotions are present and yet it is often times treated like the elephant in the room. It’s hard to move around when you are ignoring the problem.

My experiences on this subject matter is all that matters in this conversation.  Sounds BOLD, and a bit arrogant doesn’t it? So why do I say that?  Simple it’s not out of a book.  I witnessed it.  I have felt it and I know what I know.

Yes, I have read many of the books and have used them as guides and tools, but I have broken what I have read down so I can teach it in small pieces. MAD, SAD, GLAD, FEAR, and SHAME are the 5 emotions I talk about. When I ask someone what they are feeling I can help them see it is always tied back to some kind of Anger, Grief, Joy, Fear (anxiety), or Shame (A story or belief). So it’s easy for them to take a breath and look inward when they are trying to get conscious around their feelings.

The breath is important.  It slows down the body, and helps connect the brain with the body. Your body then acts as a barometer and can tell you where the emotion is at in your body. For example, anger shows up in the temple area, or the clenching of your fist.  Grief is in the eyes, and stomach.  Joy has been described as light on the feet, or a deep resonating in the chest.  Fear can stand up the hairs on your neck, or close off your throat so you can’t speak. Shame well, shame is what Brene Brown describes as insidious.  Often times my clients will describe it in the pit of their stomach, or a paralyzing of the body.

It is important to feel, and not be afraid to feel.  Once you feel it the body can release it. Once it is released you can take a new step. The next step towards what you want.