I'm going to state the obvious: we like to feel good; we don't like to feel bad. 

Ah! Well done Stephanie! 

We're really going places with this... 

Exactly. Today, I'd like to take it a step further. 

Buddhists say that emotions are illusions. But when Mom messed up her Christmas pudding, her frustration and deep disappointment weren’t just illusions! 

And yet, the Buddhists are right. 

Since I’m a stickler for the nitty-gritty, let me break it down for you, in my own words: 

Negative emotions are the result of thought errors (also known as illusions). 

Reminder: emotions are created by your thoughts, not by circumstances. Mom’s lopsided pudding wasn’t the reason for her frustration. It was thoughts like “I’m hopeless! ” or “What a waste of time” that triggered those emotions. 

The discomfort you feel when a thought error is running through your mind is a signal.

And that signal says: 'Stop thinking what you're thinking!'

...Just as physical pain alerts you to a potential injury, this discomfort is there to protect you and encourage you to shift your perspective.

Why? 

Because all these thoughts —“errors” or “illusions,” whichever you prefer—pull you away from your deepest nature:

 Serenity 

The error (or illusion) is believing thoughts like: 

"I’m not loved, I’m alone" — which creates sadness. 

"I can’t do it "— which leads to discouragement. 

"Things should be different" — which fuels anger. 

"I should have done better" — which breeds regret. 

"I’m a bad person" — which feeds guilt. 

"It’s going to go wrong" — which generates fear. 

In reality, so-called “negative” emotions are trying to convey positive messages. If you’ve been reading my newsletters from the start, you’ll recognize the common thread.

↓↓↓ Here are those messages : 

Sadness whispers to you: You are loved. You’re not alone. 

Anger: Things are the way they are, and there’s meaning in that. OR Things are the way they are, and they can change. 

Regret: You did the best you could at the time. 

Discouragement: You can move forward. 

Guilt: You’re a good person who learns and grows. 

Fear: You’re going to be okay. You’ll keep yourself safe. 

These messages align you with the best within yourself. Once the real message is heard, the emotion disappears...

And you feel better...

... then good!

Now, YOUR HOMEWORK before the quiz…

The next time you feel sad, irritated, or bothered by something, take a moment to identify the phrase (the thought) that created that emotion. Then, remind yourself that somewhere within or around that phrase, there’s an illusion (or thought error).

Wishing you a wonderful start to the new year. 




Stephanie

As a life coach specializing in thought and emotion management, my role is to help you identify your thought errors so you can free yourself from them — helping you feel calmer and more at peace.
Book a free session to learn more. Click here.

Pssst... Here’s a free screenshot for you to keep these messages handy:

The main positive messages of negative emotions:

You’re loved. 

You’re not alone. 

You’re capable. 

It was meant to happen this way. 

Nothing has gone wrong. 

There’s nothing wrong with you. 

You’re a good person. 

It’s going to be okay.