An Emotional Primer for Men

Table of Contents

Now that we've considered taking the bull by the horns and wrestling with our emotional baggage (is that a mixed metaphor?), what are the ground rules?

1.) The Emotional Body is our Yin side. Predominantly feminine in nature, it is thoroughly foreign to most men.

2.) We must exercise genuine honesty with what we find when we peer into our inner darkness.

3.) Practicing self-forgiveness (tougher even than forgiving others) is absolutely crucial to the process.

4.) Where there is no resistance there is no harm.

5.) Anything we refuse to acknowledge or express gets stuffed back down into the emotional body to be added to the layered onion.

6.) Once we start peeling that onion and releasing the hold which the fears and pain have on us, the pace of the process accelerates.

7.) For each terrifying dive on the emotional rollercoaster, there is a commensurate soaring to new and various heights.

Reckon we should give this task a second thought? Sounds pretty daunting! Perhaps being unhappy is not so bad after all. On the other hand, there are wonderful rewards to be had by delving into this stuff. There is the experience of inner peace, a deepening sense of connection to others and a heightened awareness of our own identity. Besides, it can be argued that a higher awareness within us is moving us toward this endeavor anyway. Each new experience life brings to us is replete with opportunity to go deeper into our feelings. It doesn't seem too likely that avoiding the process can carry on too very long without coming to a painful head. What the heck! We can at least consider the steps to take on this path and see where they lead.

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