Unruly Emotions
My heart felt tight in my chest. According to my emotions, everything was wrong. Insidiously my emotions started to short circuit my brain. My thinking became muddled. My outlook became increasingly negative. Even things I was excited about seemed dull, lifeless, UGH! My emotions were in control and I didn’t like it.
So I did something about it. First I prayed for wisdom and that I would not allow my emotions to run my thinking.
Next I posted on facebook this: “Unruly emotions you must flee. I will not allow you to dictate my attitude or shade the outlook of my day. Ask me in a few if this worked. ;)” I did have a friend ask me if it worked. I honestly answered “Mostly.”
It was a fight, one I have yet to completely win. I hope I am learning better how to fight these unruly emotions. They remind me of the fog I saw this morning. The day was bring and sunny at my house. By the time I got halfway to my girls’ school, I couldn’t even see the sun. The fog had limited my visibility. What I could see was muted in color. Everything apparently was changed, but in reality the sun was shining. Did you know that there is less than a gallon of water in one cubic mile of fog?
Our unruly emotions take a small amount of water and scatter it around to change our thinking. These emotions are then able to change our outlook on life. Suddenly all looks and feels like doom and gloom. In reality the Son is still shinning. Our brains MUST take charge.
So what do you do when your emotions try to short-circuit your brain? Share with me!
I almost forgot…I received my first published article (in Stepping Stones) in the mail yesterday! WOO HOO! Thank You God!
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Whenever I struggle with my emotions, I follow a magic formula found in Dale Carnegie’s How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (the same guy who wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People. It is as follows:
1. Ask yourself,’ ‘What is the worst that can possibly happen?”
2. Prepare to accept it if you have to.
3. Then calmly proceed to improve on the worst.
First, I consider the worst case scenario. Then, I prepare myself to accept the bleakest possibility. Finally, through God’s will, I work towards a better outcome.
Some great ideas Daniel. However for me…If I consider the bleakest outcome, I start dwelling there instead of being prepared. What I must do instead is say, I don’t know all the possible outcomes God, but I trust You regardless. 🙂 Maybe it is the woman in me, but I can’t go there.
It is a proven scientific fact that woman are more emotional than men. That means we have more trouble with unruly emotions. That means that, when we learn to manage our emotions, it can have a major impact on the world.
Wolfhowl098, I never thought about the impact managing our emotions may have on the world, but you are right. If more women (me included) spent more time reigning in our emotions then our world would be a different place. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Congrats on the article, Ang!!
Thanks Mel! 😉