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CHALLENGING YOUR FEELINGS
Partnered with thinking, feelings have the
potential to greatly influence your behavior. I say
‘potential’ because what may come as a great
shock to the modern mind is–you do not have to
obey your feelings. In many cases, we should NOT
obey them. Why? Because feelings are not the
final word on reality. We feel empty, so we eat. We
feel bored, so we turn on the TV. We feel rejected,
so we withdraw. We feel afraid, so we become
paralyzed.
A closer look reveals feelings serve as very
poor guides for seeking the “good life.” Just ask
inmates in correctional facilities across America
who elevated their ‘feeling’ for crystal meth to the
center of their life choices. Did gratifying their
longing for crystal meth deliver a good life? You
say, “But I’m not a crystal meth addict!” Perhaps
not, but what are the results of the feelings to
which you are submitting? Emptiness? Hopelessness?
Fear? Anger? All of these are subject to the
same laws of reality as craving crystal meth. You
eventually get the results they deliver.
Challenge your feelings with sober reality,
“Does obeying this feeling really deliver me the
best life possible?”
CHALLENGING YOUR BODY
Your body is your essential power-pack for living
life on earth. But as important as our bodies are,
they have limitations in delivering the good life.
Elevating gratification of your body to the primary
source of experiencing the ‘good life’ (pleasure,
sensuality, fullness), also positions it to deliver the
‘bad life’ (pain, numbness, emptiness). You must
challenge centering your life on gratifying bodily
sensations–because ultimately the body can never
be fully satisfied.
Bodily gratification knows no limits. Ever known
an alcoholic with enough drink? A food-aholic with
enough food? A sex-aholic with enough sex? Is
guzzling actually better than sipping? Is gorging
really better than savoring? The irony is that centering
life on bodily pleasure actually deadens feelings.
Initial pleasure sensations eventually become
harder and harder to re-experience, which awakens
a relentless drive to feel something ‘more’.
The more bodily gratification is sought, the less
it delivers on the self-satisfaction scale. Challenging
your body through training, perseverance, and
practicing living within limits, ultimately delivers
the real goods. Testimony is used in court to establish
truth–so ask those regularly challenging, disciplining,
and limiting their body by smart eating, physical
activities, and exercising if the results are indeed
good?
Add your unique goal to a New Year’s resolution:
“This year I will experience a healthier body,
better relationships, financial success, career
advancement, etc., by challenging the intent of my
will, the validity of my thinking, and the trustworthiness
of my feelings until ultimately my body
experiences the results of one good choice made
day by day, week by week, and month by month–
until I’ve lived the entire year.”
With patience and diligence you will experience
a better life. That’s a PROMISE. l
Hometown MADISON • 53