Don’t Get Fooled By Feelings

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor E. Frankl

Feelings are good. They exist for a reason. They serve as guideposts. But they’re not the end all, be all. And sometimes, our feelings can fool us into short-term thinking and behavior at the expense of our long-term dreams and desires.

For if we only did things when we felt like doing them (e.g. working out, eating healthy, sitting down to write, etc.), then nothing substantial would ever get accomplished. This is where discipline, commitment and focus come in to play.

Whenever you feel something strongly, before immediately acting on it, get curious with it. Ask yourself why you might be feeling that way. Allow the feelings in. Whatever the reasons–don’t judge them–say to yourself, “Oh, that’s interesting.” Then, proceed from there.

That pause between feeling and response is what makes us human and ultimately, where our true freedom lies.