I’m Flipping Tables Over
What a relief!
I found myself in a funk recently and really didn’t want to be there and yet felt stuck. What I quickly realized is that I was trying to get myself from funk to fantastic and it was too big of a jump for me.
I was tapping on what I was feeling and suddenly (as can happen while tapping) a biblical story popped into my head. The story of Jesus being in the market and getting so upset with the vendors that he started to flip tables over. Now granted, my memory of this story isn’t exactly accurate. As the story goes,“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.”
The animal rights activist in me, loves that he was besot with the vendors selling doves, but the point for me is… he lost his temper. Imagine that. With the devote Catholic upbringing I had, anger one of the seven deadly sins and this point was hammered home to me. So needless to say, this became a forbidden emotion for me and one that I felt a lot, but was laced with guilt about feeling. I was in a double bind for sure.
But on this particular day, when this memory came to me, relief came over me. It occurred to me that I was flipping tables over. This is where I was emotionally. I might be in a funk, but I felt instantly relieved that this was okay. I knew in that moment, I wouldn’t stay here forever. This was just a stage I would be moving through.
My next epiphany was remembering Abraham-Hicks Emotional Guidance Scale.
So I revisited it from the book “Ask and It is Given”, pg. 114.
The Emotional Guidance Scale
- Joy / Appreciation / Empowered / Freedom / Love
- Passion
- Enthusiasm / Eagerness / Happiness
- Positive Expectation / Belief
- Optimism
- Hopefulness
- Contentment
- Boredom
- Pessimism
- Frustration / Irritation / Impatience
- Overwhelm
- Disappointment
- Doubt
- Worry
- Blame
- Discouragement
- Anger
- Revenge
- Hatred / Rage
- Jealousy
- Insecurity / Guilt / Unworthiness
- Fear / Grief / Depression / Despair / Powerlessness
I think this is a key to having a great life that really works for you. It starts with your emotional life. When you manage your emotional life, I believe. the rest of your life changes for the better.
I started moving myself up the scale. I released the idea that I need to get happy or feel fantastic. I’d settle for neutral and that’s where I got to and then I noticed I felt happy that I had moved myself up the emotional scale from Depression to Discouragement to Doubt to Anger to what I would call Contentment. I was content with where I was at emotionally and I got that little bump of happy thrown in for getting myself to contentment.
I’ve heard of this scale for years and I never really “got it” until that day. It’s changed the game for me. I’m capable of moving myself up the scale. This is huge.
I’ve watched many biographies and read books about people who “beat all the odds” and create a life that works for them and this is a common thread I see. They may not use this scale, but they have definitely found a way to elevate their emotional state enough to help them move forward.
So next time you find yourself in a funk, or in an emotional space you’d rather not be in, consider this Emotional Guidance Scale and see if you can move yourself to the next best possible feeling thought.
As an example, say you’re feeling jealous. See if you can move yourself to anger. That may sound bizarre. “You mean anger is better than jealousy.” I believe it is. There’s energy in anger and anger can be product, used properly. Sit with your anger and then when you’re ready see if you can move yourself up the scale to Blame or Worry. Don’t believe me though. Try this yourself. Tapping can really help you move emotion, so I highly recommend keeping this tool in your toolbox.
I think you’ll find the more you practice this, the more you’ll move into work you love, finding a relationship that works for you, create more abundance, happier parenting a better work and home environment and life you love.
Here’s to moving up the scale!
Marti