Why Is Self-Control of the Emotions A Good Thing?

by Robert Wilkinson

Well, the first thing that springs to mind is that it's never a good thing when something external to us causes us to lose our cool. If we get thrown off by internal stuff that takes us by surprise, it's one thing. But to allow any external thing or person to sap us of our power to choose the better rather than the worse, the good instead of the bad, the helpful rather than the unhelpful, is to abdicate our higher responsibility to live the life we choose, rather than allow anything else to run our karma into a ditch.

In any case, whether an unknown or unsuspected internal impulse, or some unfortunate external event, it is still up to us to exercise a gentle and wise self-control over our lower nature and its instincts. Today's article explains why tendencies create habits which bring good fortune or misfortune depending on which impulses we yield to, which ones we sustain, and which ones we need to examine and stop.

For your renewed consideration, Emotions, Self-Control, and Correcting Habits. After you're done considering what is said there, please click on the link at the beginning of the article to be taken to another post about problems with illusions, and some ideas on getting past them.

© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Kathryn]

Thank you for reposting this. This is extremely timely in my life. I was asking for some guidance and here it is. The background is that I was the recipient of some very difficult emotionally destructive behavior in a restaurant when I was a waitress by a couple about 14years ago (isn't that a Saturn Cycle). It was a power thing - they assumed I was nothing and no one as I was a waitress- and they behaved extremely badly creating a huge scene. I took it personally - and it has taken me years to realize it was them not me, and it is just an indicator of how far along the path they are to have behaved like that not only toward me - but toward the 10 others on staff that evening. They were banished from the restaurant and not allowed to come back by the restaurant management - unfortunately they now live in my parents neighborhood so I could run into them. BTW - I was an engineer between jobs at the time - and I am now working in a technology company in marketing. I have been thinking about that incident - and it was about the right use of power, behavior, and how you treat the vulnerable (which I was that evening). I have never ever treated anyone like that (in this life)-thanks for the post - very timely. As a rule- I refuse to work for executives who misuse the power they have been given.

[Aditya]

Hi Robert, As usual your posts keep coming in a perfect pattern, as and when we mortals need to read them. You are so right. Everytime i get irritated by someone close to me, i will base my reactions on my higher self and forgive the person trying to cause distress. Maybe that way if they don't see me react negatively, the snide remarks will stop too.
I am now meditating regularly and that has helped a lot too.

Thank you again and again for the wonderful work you are doing for us.

Namaskarams

[H]

Hi i love synchronicity.... i was just having a wee emotional see-saw & immediately felt compelled to check in to Aquarius papers to be met by this article... phew. Aditya's comment on "perfect pattern" is right on.

Hope the move is going well, your a star.

Aum H

[Robert]

Hi Kathryn - Glad you're clearing old holographic stress points, since appearances often create illusions that traumatize us until we face the demon, name it, and watch it vanish, along with our old hurts and fears. In LA most don't abuse the waitstaff since the waiter you dis today could be tomorrow's superstar. But that's a different mindset than anywhere else in the world. You've named a global virus of epic proportions, that of judging others by momentary appearances. Glad you've learned through your process to detach from taking it personally. The power of how a thing is marketed is the key to understanding perception. And as you can surmise, "executives who misuse the power they have been given" tend to avoid me like a plague, since I seldom tell them to believe their own press releases.

Hi Aditya - Glad I'm in a groove. Also glad you're meditating, since it reminds us of the signal that we can rely on. And of course, the more we decrease reactivity, we are rewarded with benefits of not going places we don't need to go, thus reclaiming our power not to be thrown into funky states by externals any more than we have to. As for snide remarks, who really cares what snide people think anyway? And of course, you're welcome. Glad to be here doing what I do. Namaskar.

Hi H - Glad you could pull back from the seesaw as quickly as you're able. Dispassion toward the fluxes of the separated self helps us put things in broader perspective. "And we all shine on, on and on and on..."

[Wild Horse Running]

Thank you Kathryn...for your post.

Your story showed me that I was internalizing blame that wasn,t/isn,t
mine....and it is time to start valuing myself.

Much gratitude :-)