Daily Gratitude: Nothing could be truer. I can personally attest to this and if you know my history from 2016 and 2017 you’ll understand how I can claim to be such an expert on this. If you don’t recognize your emotions and feel them (which is different from reacting), they will just be retained in your system- first in the nervous system and then in your various organs. Look at headaches and how they get worse with stress. As a simple example, though, think about the physiological changes that happen when you have to meet someone for the first time (red face, rapid heart beat and increased respiratory rate); how about if you have to talk in front of people? Butterflies? Goosebumps? Face flushed? Shaking? Nausea? Passing out? These are all responses to an emotion (fear and/or stress). I never knew any emotion except for anger. Obviously I suppressed all the others. Each of those suppressed feelings was working inside of my body working on various organ systems. Eventually when the external stressors created an environment where there was no escape, the volcano within erupted. Several organ systems manifested their damage in a few weeks time. The disaster had occurred. Since this awakening, I have worked very hard to feel my emotions and let them be released normally instead of shoving them down inside. I have improved dramatically as has my health. Therefore I can speak with authority on this.

Daily Gratitude: I can see your eyes rolling, wondering how I could possibly think that the misery you’re experiencing could be called sacred. They are messages trying to get your attention. If you don’t attend to that message, they will persist like little kids that want something and won’t leave you alone until they get it. This is what happened to me as I’ve talked about so often here. I had all these various symptoms all my life but just ignored them. Then in 2016 it all began to bubble up (my internal volcano). By 2017, my internal issues collided with external circumstances (which were completely out of my control) and that’s all it took. 3 months later after 5 weeks of hospitalization (3 separate times) I finally got the message. Now I pay attention to any and all symptoms. I can’t always tell what they are saying but I know it’s some call for me to “go inside” and check my parts (internal family systems- parts work). Take a look at the book I recommended yesterday (‘The Secret Language of the Body’).

Daily Gratitude: I highly recommend this book. So many of us seem to have a big separation at the neck. We think about and analyze everything, never paying attention to what’s below the neck. This book explains what goes on in the nervous system and how the nervous system behaves in fight, Flight or freeze modes. More importantly, though, it gives specific ways to change a dysregulated nervous system. It goes into detail about how to capitalize on how neuroplasticity works to help us get back to a normal state. It’s a well written book combining info on where you are and how to get where you want to be. Not listening to our body leads to all sorts of issues – chronic issues, chronic pain etc.