Not every prison cell has four walls.
Almost every one of us is terrified at the mere thought of being imprisoned for an unfortunate circumstance or due to a desperate momentum in life.
We do not realize however, that throughout every single day we walk from one cell into another inside our own inner prison. When we are overwhelmed by an emotion that in a matter of seconds transforms our previous-to-action ( or actions ) physiology which will be set in motion through impulses that quickly give way to robotic emotional behaviours. All of this takes place in about 20 seconds, from the moment we let the external trigger in until our automatic mode behaviour.
Are you aware of being trapped in an emotion?
Paul Ekman is an eminent psychologist and one of the 100 more influential people in the world according to Time Magazine (2009).
In his study on emotions dr. Elkman explains to us on the chronology of emotion, that we all have an open affection program containing the pre-written emotional patterns by our evolutive past because it was useful to our ancestors and, besides the ones we have discovered that are useful to us in our present lives.
Once learnt, the affection program works automatically.
Although we cannot interrupt impulse activated behaviours we can prevent ourselves from following those impulses.
We can learn how to recognize the impulse and let it pass through without taking action.
Or if we do take action, we can make a choice of the route to the words to say and what actions to take.
It is a matter of emotional training which allows us to have options, to make choices and decisions that will lead to beneficial behaviours and wellness for ourselves and the people around us.
Contact me.
Leticia Morales
