The intensity of our emotions can sometimes be
confusing. Our feelings are capable of
washing over us like an ocean, giving us the impression that we are helplessly
drowning in the intensity of our own being.
Whether this sea is made of drops of romance, sorrow, elation, or rage,
its storms are formidable, capable of sending the most seasoned captains off
course.
But what if we could measure the intensity of our emotions
the same way we measure the intensity of sugar in our foods? What if there were some sort of emotional
nutrition facts that could show us how many calories of feeling we were
experiencing? What if managing the
intensity of our emotions could be as simple as calorie counting?
While an actual measurement of our emotional intensity may
never be possible, perhaps it is still possible for us to become the Poseidon
of our own “Emocean.” Let’s liken our
feelings to sugar for a moment. Any
doctor will tell you that in moderation, sugar is not harmful to your body. It’s when we go overboard that we start to
see the negative impacts of our consumption.
So let’s begin to view intense emotions like a big huge slice of cake:
an indulgence. Indulgences are not
bad! But they must be moderated.
One of the most wonderful things about the human experience
is being caught up in our feelings. Our
hearts are capable of great power, and we ought to succumb to them from time to
time. But we must be aware that we are
allowing this consumption to take place, just as we are aware when we are
having one slice of cake too many. Be
intense, but never think you are helpless against the waves of your own
creation. Wield your trident, Poseidon,
love the storm or love the calm, but never think you are without choice.
