Emotions: Bill Krimm and Joni Yacoe

Bill and Joni did a fantastic job today teaching on the subject of emotions – a fitting end to the I Quit series. I am not going to attempt to restate all that they had to say. I can’t. But what I would like to do is share what struck me in particular, and hope that some of you might comment on what struck you.

On thing that hit me today was that so-called negative emotions are are the first that we learn and use in life. Crying out in anger or fear gets us fed and clothed and changed as babies. These are inherent survival skills. I have tended to devalue these emotions as an adult, seeing them as too primary. I need to respect them as they are, and let them inform me when they show up in myself, and honor them when they are elicited in others.

Another insight was how very different men are from women. Women have a much greater capacity to articulate emotional “stuff”. Their language is wider than men, typically, and they are naturally more apt to acknowledge emotional concerns in a relationship. I am wondering if, as a guy, instead of reacting to my wife’s concerns (women are responsible for bringing up emotional stuff 70% of the time compared to men), I may want to try and view her insights as an invitation to discover what I have missed. If Lynne has picked up on something, I have likely missed it. Asking more questions to gain clarity will help me grow in my emotional maturity, and will strengthen our relationship all the more.

It was also nice to hear that church has a positive impact on one’s ability to handle stress. Makes sense. In church we are surrounded by community. In church we are challenged to learn and grow every week, which means we first are assuming we have something to learn. In church we are reminded that the world is much bigger than our little individual lives, which may help us keep things in perspective a bit. And, of course, in church we seek greater, more intimate relationship with God. God’s presence provides comfort, healing, support, strength, and an unshakable foundation upon which we can be vulnerable.

I also appreciated hearing why breathing works. I learned to employ this technique years ago, but I didn’t know the Vagus Nerve connection. Now I know one reason why it works!

How about you? What struck you today?