Taking Control of Your Emotions
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. ”
As people of faith, God calls us to devote energy to Emotional Intelligence because actions have consequences. You can have the brains of Stephen Hawking, but without Emotional Intelligence, you will fail to achieve or find peace of mind. Emotional Intelligence provides the opportunity to live a meaningful life with empathy and joyous relationships. Lacking Emotional Intelligence keeps people from experiencing their potential intellectually or spiritually, and often creates painful personal interactions.
Aytekin Tank, in his helpful article, “How Managing Your Emotions Can Help You Stay Motivated,” helps us realize that “Emotions aren’t the enemy.” Tank continues, “Society often teaches us to push aside any bad feelings that arise, as showing fear or insecurity is often seen as a sign of weakness. But it is not sustainable in the long-run.” Running away from feelings creates weakness and leaves one unable to lean into life’s many challenges. Addressing one’s feelings is the definition of strength.
Strong Emotional Intelligence requires us to own our emotions. Owning our emotions means being “Self-aware.” AytekinTank reminds us of the following Japanese proverb: “Only he who knows his own weaknesses can endure those of others.” Tank also challenges us to “Practice self-regulation.” The practice forces us to evaluate our uncomfortable feelings as they arise and seek to understand what triggers them. When we do that, we can take back control over our feelings, rather than giving them away to every hurtful person who looks at us wrong.
As we begin to prioritize Emotional Intelligence, our stress levels decrease, our productivity increases, and our openness to new relationships expands. Today, ask God to allow the Holy Spirit to guide your practice in Emotional Intelligence. Prayerfully listen to the Holy Spirit, but instead of waiting on a voice, listen for the Spirit to speak through your emotions, calming and questioning, rather than firing up at the slightest provocation. As you practice, you will feel like you have taken your life back. That is worth the effort!
