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A common question over the years, in my field of work where I have a site called "Emotions In Balance", has been,
"Exactly what does EMOTIONS IN BALANCE mean?"
Well, in fact, "Feeling Good" is much the same thing and can bring out the same question.
In the world of affect (emotions and feelings), balance equates with being able to travel through life's ups and downs and be relatively well attuned to all our experiences, no matter what. The essence of feeling good is a meld of pure and simple "ease and peace", along with the ability to be content that our emotions are in the sort of balanced state described above. All these things are the ingredients of what we all wish to achieve in life: CONTENTMENT. In fact, they are probably the ONLY ingredients needed. Look at these things above, and think about that statement. ... isn't it a fact that if you feel good about and with yourself, then everything else in life falls into place - become things you can deal with instead of be stuck in!! ? What do you say? Does this guy look balanced?
Well, maybe not quite, but some years ago, I started the manuscript of a book, Pelicans Don't Have Feelings; But They Sure are Sure of Themselves. It was subtitled 'Being Just OK - Powerful Beyond Words'.
Needless to say, it didn't get finished ... yet. I needed to put a question mark after 'Pelicans don't have feelings?' in order to be correct because, well, how do we know? But all in all, the book didn't seem to do quite enough to talk about the process of getting there, but just talked about what it would feel like to 'be there'. I'll revise the draft soon. Shame, really, because I grew quite fond of that old pelican and what he stood for. And what he did stand for is really the nub of what it takes to be content and balanced in your life. You can read more about that in the 'aims in therapy' page on the Emotions In Balance website. In the meantime, if you want to have a look at the first chapter of that draft, well, here it is embedded below. You'll see how I got to like that pelican! |
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