Heart and Mind Tao

“Just because we feel a certain way doesn’t make that feeling a fact. It only means we feel that way. We must learn to press past our feelings.” – Joyce Meyer

This is much like that saying, “Follow your heart but take your brain with you.” They both point to the value of not following our emotions alone. If I only paid attention to my emotions there are many things in life I would never have done. (Skydiving and writing!)

This applies to all emotions, I know when I used to get angry I always thought it must be for a good reason. Although later on I realized that so many times it was simply because my ego was damaged and it supplied that good reason for acting like a child later. Yikes. (I still experience that although I’m better now.)

It’s a really good reason why although we need to have our feelings we also need to follow our ability to contemplate and use our ability to be rational by seeing the bigger picture. More information can change the way we see and believe. Most of my emotional structure is conditioned by my experiences and upbringing. I “learned” how to apply emotions to life’s experience by watching others apply theirs. That’s not a good or bad thing. But it’s good to remember that just because I believe or feel a certain way never means it’s true, no matter how it feels.

It’s really the middle way of Tao. We get to be emotional and believe what we will and yet we can mold that by allowing that awesome ability to contemplate and see all sides. Not just our own. And, for what it’s worth, it also works the other way. We can get caught up in thinking and rationalizing and lose sight of how emotions also have a voice. It’s why I love Zen and Tao, they speak to the balance of the middle view of life and living.

Take care of you, love as much as you can.

Bryan Wagner