Second Chance at Your Dream

Emotional Independence with Energy Psychology

The fourth of July holiday is bittersweet this year as the nation deals with the huge psychological impact of history’s worst oil disaster. Independence from addiction to oil and its many products is intensely relevant now as we acknowledge appreciation for the independences won in the Revolutionary War that helped to shape the nation’s history. Independence from emotional burdens is required to help us move forward as a nation.

Runaway, uncontrolled crude is not just impacting our beaches, waters, and wildlife –it is placing its mark on our souls. Many may be unaware of how deeply this injury affects them since life seems to go on as usual in most places. Those who are more aware of the distress may wonder what do to with their emotions since the disaster is ongoing and its effects become greater every day.

Facing rather than denying the reality before us poses a tremendous challenge. It is quite likely that lifestyle changes will be required of all of us. In facing our dilemma, we also gain opportunities to extend our thinking beyond perceived beliefs and to find new solutions.

Energy psychology gives us practical resources to release painful emotions and to think more clearly about choices. When caught up in strong emotions, it is difficult to shift to new perceptions. Here are some examples of steps to help along the way:

• Identify the emotion you feel most strongly about the Gulf disaster or focus on an image that brings it to your awareness.
• Address the emotion directly while gently massaging the heart area with a phrase such as, “Even though I feel___ (state the feeling), or Even though I cannot comprehend the destruction of this event, I deeply and profoundly honor my being, I love and accept myself.”
• Treat yourself by repeating the pattern as often as needed especially when viewing news clips or material related to this painful event.
• Brush away the heaviness from any place where you notice tension in your body. If possible use movement, exercise, or dance to further release what is held within. Allow the painful emotion to decrease enough to make room for positive options.
• Decide to activate a helpful intention such as sharing ideas with friends, reaching out to your elected officials, being  gentle with those around you, focusing on increasing your awareness, and recognizing your internal choices.
• Maximize this intention and your ability to choose by again massaging the heart area and bring in a phrase for healing. Examples, “Even though this is a serious dilemma, I deeply and profoundly accept myself and choose to align with the forces of goodwill for resolving this problem/ I choose to send my caring wishes to those most impacted/ I choose to encourage the technology that can bring relief, etc.”

Notice how the shift to new possibilities can only come when your emotions are known and addressed. Untreated emotions can fester and lead us to unwise choices. Feelings of helplessness are close cousins to hopelessness and both can become seeds for despair. It is essential that we move out of the mental morass of blaming and divisiveness so prevalent in the media. We need to help each other and support the opportunities for the changes that stand before us.

At a recent meeting with the Olympic  energy psychology study group, we released intense emotions about the Gulf disaster so we could come up with a large assortment of new personal choices. Let the words of these choices resonate within you so that you can choose which you most wish to activate in the days and weeks to come:

• Awakening myself and others
• Uniting for a shared purpose
• Increasing compassion for those in need
• Connecting with kindred spirits
• Empowering loved ones
• Envisioning an end to the destruction
• Protecting fragile environments
• Increasing knowledge and wisdom
• Transforming losses to new insight and action

May your inner light shine brightly in these challenging times!

Dr. Dorothea Hover-Kramer is a leading “re-firement’ elder and author of Second Chance at Your Dream.