Empowering Emotional Triggers

I love it when we miraculously put together the perfect day, and life decides to get in the way.

Well, it's not life, and maybe I don't love it, but occasionally, something or someone will cross your path and get in your way.

I don't know anybody who doesn't get hit smack in the face with a situation that triggers a feeling deep inside their soul, stirs emotion, and results in a reaction or response that makes you say, "Why did I say that?"

Of course, we are emotional creatures, so it makes sense that robust emotional responses are common for most of us. Still, common sense will tell you they don't always serve us. It gets even worse when people sedate their emotions to protect themselves. Not only do they miss great opportunities, but when they are triggered, it becomes an 8.0 earthquake.

So, how do you deal with it?

The way I handle it is to understand that triggers usually happen when I least expect them. Still, my ScottLOGIC tells me that once I experience the trigger and learn the lesson, a little discipline in my actions tends to smooth things out the next time.

Here's what happens.

When I get triggered, a feeling emerges inside of me. Like me, the problem is that most folks jump from a feeling to an emotional response before their mouth knows what's happening. A better way is to recognize the feeling, pause, review the emotional dialog running in your mind, and then allow your thoughts to become your words.

Life improves when you have the discipline to recognize what you've learned from a previous trigger, audit your reactions, and deliver your response. Strangely, it becomes as if you were never triggered at all.

Look, we live in a world filled with shoot-from-the-hip opportunities, many of which are purposely put in front of us to get a response. Please don't fall for it. Keep your mind on how you want to experience and see the world. You'll be amazed how all the drama goes away.

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Alison Hall

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