Page 19 - Holistic Horizons - 5

Let’s Understand

What if you begin to make a list of every feeling you have ever felt. Try it out
right now for fun.

What all did you write? Most likely, you listed emotions like joy, sorrow,

excitement, anger, fear, gratitude, pride, confusion, stress, relaxation,

amazement, etc. Now divide your list of feelings into two groups: Positive
emotions and negative emotions.

Being able to experience both pleasant and

unpleasant emotions comes naturally to us.
Even though we may refer to more challenging

emotions as ‘negative’, this does not imply that

they are undesirable or that we should
not feel them. However, the majority

of people undoubtedly prefer to
experience positive emotions to

negative ones. You probably prefer to be joyful than distressed or confident

than unsure.

What counts is how well-balanced our emotions are—how much of each
kind of emotion, whether positive or negative, we feel.

Negative feelings alert us to potential dangers or difficulties that we may

have to face or are a response to unpleasant situations we find ourselves in.
For instance, fear can warn us of potential danger. It serves as a warning that

we might need to defend ourselves. Anger alerts us to someone treading

on our toes, going over the line, or betraying our trust. Anger may be an
indication that we need to defend our own interests.

Positive emotions change our brain in ways that broaden our awareness,

attention, and memory, instead of narrowing it.

Positive emotions help us see new possibilities which makes it easier for us
to learn new things and advance our talents. As a result, we perform better

on assignments and assessments.

It is simpler to handle challenging circumstances when we experience more

positive emotions than negative ones.

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