When I speak to friends and family about the importance of emotions (or their usefulness), my mind immediately goes to the image of a car and its driver. 🚗
If we think of the conscious/logical mind as the driver, and the unconscious/emotional side as the car, it’s important to realise that the only way the driver can effectively drive the car and get to their destination in safe and timely manner, is by understanding HOW to use the car, and WHY the car needs to be used in the way it does.
When we first begin learning how to drive, we are taught to go from Neutral, to First gear, to Second, and so on. What we may not realise, or do consciously, is that to effectively learn how to use the car we ask ourselves (and/or our instructor) HOW do we do that, and WHY.
The HOW – obviously – is that to change gears you press the clutch and shift gears; the WHY is because that’s how you get the most efficiency from your car. It will make the car’s life much longer, and it will get you faster to your destination.
You COULD remain in first gear from the moment you buy you car, but you’d be working AGAINST your car’s nature – and you’d also get to your destinations MUCH more slowly.
Emotions are the same: if we use them to understand our deepest truths, our core values, and our subconscious motivations, we can get to inner calmness much quicker. Because we are not working AGAINST our nature, but WITH it.
The logic has to meet the emotion, not act like the emotion shouldn’t be there in the first place.
This is why Emotion Coaching is so important to me – it’s the ultimate Cheat Code. The ultimate Life Hack!
So, are you ready to get out of first gear…?