Feelings... nothing more than feel-
ings

Today I was anxious.  I had this anxious feeling.  It had been plaguing me most of the day.  I don't put much stock in feelings - I know they can be misleading.  I tried to ig-nore this feeling and I couldn't, so I decided to take some time out and analyze.  I don't often recommend analyzing - it can mean that you go off into wasteful expansion.  But I was going into wasteful expansion by not analyzing, so I decided to have a look at where this feeling was coming from. 

It was connected with money.  Lately I've watched a lot of money leave our account.  We're having an extension built, my car just got serviced, and I have an appointment with the accountant to discuss taxes.  But it's not just that.  I don't get anxious writing checks.  I'm not too both-ered about paying taxes.  But I do get anxious about not knowing how much more will go out. AND having to justify extra expenses. 

This anxious feeling was becoming overwhelming.  I had discovered the triggered.  Now it was time to adjust my perspective.  So first, a few facts to consider which I didn't consider when developing my anxious feeling:
1.  My justifications are fine if I'm satisfied with them.  I don't have to satisfy anyone else.

2.  Whilst I should consider care in handling money, if I review my act- ions and find that I have not erred in my handing of the money, then I should be satisfied with that.  Even if I have erred, past is past.  Learn the lesson and move on.

3.  Make the drama small.  This is one scene in the drama.  If I attach importance to it and blow it out of proportion, then I will be trapped by all the feelings and emotions that go with it.  If I see it as just a temporary passing scene, a part of one whole, then I put it into perspective.  It becomes small and insignificant.

This last point is the most important and useful.  It doesn't mean that I ignore what's happening with my money, it means that I can rid myself of unhelpful emotions - feelings that stop me getting on with other things.  And once that feeling is in check, I can be effective once more.
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Ross Galán, NLP Spiritual Life Coach
at the Spiritual Life Coaching School