Yesterday I went to see a dentist; you have not read that before at this blog. My early dental experiences were a nightmare. I tend to avoid seeing a dentist as much as possible. Now I find out that I have a gum disease and I can either go every three months and see a hygienist or have problems. Yikes that was the most unpleasant news I have received in a long time. Oh well! The good news is that I probably will live through this.
The scared child in me hates to go have my teeth examined and I want to go run and hide. This inner child is different than the playful one I wrote about yesterday that loves to play games and have fun. This particular kid in me wants to avoid setting up the appointments I need and in general ignore the whole problem, which seems almost too unpleasant to want to endure. This fearful part of me wants out of this situation and acknowledging it at least stops it from growing to be a louder voice within. Ignoring the reality of this situation will not work.
Today, I make a commitment to do what it takes to get my gums as healthy as possible. In the midst of the treatment, I won’t be having much fun but I will be glad to heading in the right direction of keeping my teeth in good shape.
How do you push yourself toward what you need to do even when it doesn’t feel very good? How do you offset the demands of the fear that is frantically searching for more pleasant options? Again the power of just acknowledging feelings tends to shrink their impact. Your emotions don’t have to grow in strength if you pay attention to them. Feelings that are internally validated loose their control over you. When you acknowledge feelings, you become greater than they are. This means you take back the running of your life from your emotions.
Just a reminder: your feelings are great feedback about where you are going and what you are doing. When you are on track, you feel positive and energized; when you are off track you feel down and confused. Feelings let you know how you are doing and are great allies for creating a satisfying and rewarding life.