Most of us have wanted to change the way we felt about something at one time or other. But emotions are slippery things! Today on Home School Heartbeat with HSLDA President Mike Smith, author and counselor Lou Priolo shares insights on how to get a handle on your emotions.
Mike Smith:
Lou Priolo joins me again today. Lou, would you explain how emotions, such as anger, are related to both thoughts and actions?
Lou Priolo:
Mike, rather than explain it, I’d like to illustrate it. On the count of three, I’m going to ask you to emote. I’m going to ask you to feel something, all right?
Mike:
All right.
Lou:
One, two, three . . . hate! I want you to hate me right now.
Mike:
Well, I really don’t want to hate you, Lou, how do I do it?
Lou:
Well, it’s very hard. That’s the whole point of this experiment. It’s really, really hard to womp up a good emotion. If you really wanted to do it, what you’d have to do is convince yourself that I had done something wrong or tell yourself all kinds of terrible things about me. And after a while, as you thought this way about me or that way about me and allowed yourself to dwell on all of these negative things that you can think about me, whether they’re true or not, sooner or later you would be able to womp up a good hate. But short of your thinking and short of the things that you do, it’s very, very difficult for any of us to feel anything, because there’s a connection between the way that we think, things that we say to ourselves, and they way that we feel.
Mike:
Well, you know what? Lou, I hope I never have to hate you. But I appreciate the insight! That’s very helpful! And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
