Most of the time we look at our emotions as in the way.  They interrupt our plans, confuse us when we have things all figured out, point out inconvenient truths we are very strenuously ignoring, and all around bug the crap out of us.  So many people are out there trying to will them away, program them to be different, meditate them into another dimension, exercise them into submission and medicate them out of existence.  And while all that is going on the emotions just keep on coming like a monster in a horror flick. Don’t open that door, poor girl we know is the first red shirted ensign of the movie due to die…yep, there she goes…

But our emotions are only unruly and in need of remedial instruction when we are out of balance with them and with the world around us.  Our emotions aren’t some wild animal, they are us.  They have wisdom way beyond what our conscious mind can comprehend and we actively force that wisdom away from us at every turn.  We blame our emotions for our inability to understand what they are saying or for making their messages necessary in the first place.  Bad emotions! *wags finger* How dare you interrupt me during this conversation I don’t want to be having with a person I can’t stand about something that is going to end up making me feel bad about myself.  I’m trying to get through my day without feeling anything but positive.  Now I’m going to visualize an affirmation…

Instead of fighting our emotions this year, why not change the relationship and instead see them for the signs they are.  Like the old-fashioned hand pointing left or right they try to get our attention and head us in the right direction.  I mean, that’s what we want to do anyway, so why not take the most direct route?  Yes, the most direct route is probably going to take us to a place we’ve been avoiding for a bit.  It’s going to be the place where we actually put ourselves first before anyone else, where we prioritize what we want over what everyone else needs, where we stand up for ourselves, say no, and go do things that are life-sustaining for us rather than what feels good to others.  Heresy for some, I know.  Scary for others.  Mostly, it’s just awkward.  We’re not used to thinking or feeling or being this way and we don’t like feeling anything other than competent at this game called life so we shy away from this.  And the unknown.  We don’t like the unknown.  But this year is the year for dreaming dreams because in the year of the goat, what we think is going to become reality in short order.  Goat is nothing but practical when it comes to matters of the heart.