What does Cheer look like? To me, it is a smiling face. It is a child caught up in a moment that causes excessive giggling. It is a performance or a job well done, recognized by observers, perhaps there is applause or someone delivers a compliment. Sometimes, cheer is going home from work knowing the next ten days are vacation days. It even looks like watering taste buds upon receiving that perfect scoop of your favorite ice cream.
What does Cheer feel like? Where do you feel it in your body? I feel my mouth turn upward into a smile, and then my heart feels lighter. I feel peace in my soul. It feels happy and it feels relaxed. I find it to be contagious, too. When I feel it, I want to share it in some way. Do your toes ever wiggle when you feel cheer? My belly relaxes. I feel warm light beaming from my eyes.
Feeling Cheer functions to help me let go of something otherwise burdensome and turns my face into peace and joy. When I feel it, I imagine warm excitement and relaxed acceptance blanketing all those around me. Perhaps my cheer lightens an otherwise arduous moment into a floating feather. Cheer also invites me to get away from being too serious. Even in serious moments, this feeling is helpful to keep my soul in balance.
I give you permission to explore and play with cheer today. What does it look like to you? How does it feel to you? Imagine what cheer’s function is for you. How is it working for you? Here’s an experiment. Visualize putting a cool cherry on the belly button in the picture above. What happens to this bright little being when you do that?
We are beings with real feelings…
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The classical definition of Defiance: (1) The act or an example of defying; bold resistance to an opposing force or authority, (2) Intentionally contemptuous behavior or attitude; readiness to contend or resist, (3) Suspicion; mistrust.
To me, Defiance looks like a kid that refuses to eat her green beans. Or, refusing to empty the dishwasher because you’ve done it the last 4 times, and it’s time for someone else to pick up that ‘chore’. It’s like resisting the urge to jump in the car to obtain an ice cream cone because you saw an advertisement.
What does Defiance feel like? Where do you feel it in your body? To me, it feels like determined resistance to do something you know you ‘should’ do. Or in opposition, it is grabbing an orange to eat, instead of caving to the scrumptious suggestion to grab some ice cream. It creates a dust storm of negativity. It feels like a wall I’m not willing to move or reshape.
Feeling Defiance (defiant) functions to create a stand or a perspective that I’m not willing to budge away from. Sure, it could gently be creating a healthy boundary, but when I experience it, it feels more like a child refusing to do something. It often functions as a boundary for me, without consideration for anyone else but myself. Being aware of its presence could provide me with an opportunity to shift stubbornness into a fresh cool drink of flexibility.
I offer you this invitation to explore defiance today. What does defiance look like to you? How does it feel to you? Once you identify it, see if you can understand its function. Upon that grasp then explore how you can reshape that into something that functions for you.
Our feelings can be fluid vessels of goodness…
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What does Elation look like? My elation looks like me standing tall with pride and optimism. It is an author receiving a little message from a known or unknown reader saying, “Your book (article, blog, idea) helped me understand…” It looks like holding a published book in your hands for the first time. It is the smile on a child’s face when she learns to ride a bicycle without help or training wheels.
What does Elation feel like? Where do you feel it in your body? I feel elation in my belly, like a giggly child full of bubbly energy. When I feel elated my body feels light as a feather or excitedly liberated. It feels like a sense of accomplishment. Everything in my body vibrates with joy and freedom.
Sometimes it’s hard to explain how a feeling feels. But, finding words to describe it helps to solidify our intellectual understanding of any given feeling. With Elation, I imagine holding my hands in the air and waving them happily while proclaiming, “I did it! This is exciting!” That image creates an anchor of sorts which helps me recognize the specific feeling. Then, I can recognize it in myself or in others. It’s a good way to add to your dictionary of feelings.
Elation in my life functions to generate vibrant energy in the space of all that is life. It is a vibration that resonates through every fiber of my being. It is contagious energy. When I see it in someone else, I find myself hopping onto the same wave of liveliness. Isn’t it interesting how contagious feelings can be?
If you care to, this is an invitation for you to explore elation today. What does elation look like to you? How does it feel to you? What is the function of feeling elated? Tell me what it is like for you to feel elated. Share the colors of elation in your world!
We are amazing, feeling beings…
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What does Fear look like? To me, it looks like someone hiding from something or someone. It looks like a bird that takes flight when I walk too close or an animal that jumps upon hearing something startling. I sometimes do things because I am afraid of a certain outcome and choose to do something different so as not to elicit the feared conclusion or consequence.
Fear feels like running away or intentionally avoiding something. I feel it in my muscles because they tense up to somehow try to protect me. Sometimes I feel it in my gut, like a warning message. I feel fear when I’m outdoors, or camping in stormy weather. My fear comes from a place of wanting to feel safe.
What is the function of Fear? Oh, this is a big one! It functions in some circumstances to warn me of impending danger. Other times, it functions to keep me hidden from sight for one reason or another. Sometimes fear functions from a position of perspective, because I got a certain unwanted response as a result of something I said or how I said it.
I think, ultimately, fear is looking out for my best interests, and it wants me to feel safe and loved. Perhaps when I feel it, I can determine if it is protecting me, or if it is helping me to avoid or run away from something. If I’m avoiding, then I can acknowledge it and allow my fear to give me a big ol’ teddy bear hug. Then maybe I can listen to it with different ears and act accordingly.
Here is a permission slip for you to explore fear. It’s okay to do this in small incremental steps. Try a little short step. What does fear look like to you? How does it feel to you? What is fear’s function? How might you tweak it to work on your behalf?
Part of being human is being aware of all of our feelings…
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Life Gifts
- I send you a warm spot of cheer and buckets of love for you to use as you wish.
- Sending you nourishing soup for your soul.
- I send you life rafts for navigating the waters of life.
- I send you revolving hours of joy for writing about what you want to write about.
- I send you delicious moments filled with rare and marvelous accents that grow your heart.
- I send you calm as you step back into work from being off for a few weeks.
- I send you comfy pillows to cradle you in love and comfort.
- I send you appreciation for caring to make healthy choices for yourself.
- I send you healing love and energy.
- Sending you tasty inspiration.
- I send you love.
- I send you healing energy as you mend your heart and body.
- I send you clocks that indicate there is plenty of time.
- I send you large bundles of gratitude for being who you are, and for being connected with me.
- I send you buckets of smiles to share with everyone you meet.
- I send you joy.
- Sending you a bubble full of love and healing, to hold you and your heart.
- I send you focus as you practice setting up new routines to support your engagement with your true self.
- I send you fresh, crisp apple bites of life to bite into everyday.
- I send you patience to allow new things to unfold positively for your life.
- I send you light energy to charge your healthy cells and create health.
- I send you showers of grace and peace.
- I send you bright-colored flowers that fragrantly shower your surroundings with joy and delight.
- I send you gentle care and comfort, and I hold your heart with love in mine.
- I send you whimsical moments that make you giggle out loud, whether or not you’re around people.
- Sending you giant pails of peace to spill or splash in.
- I send you succulent sweet chocolate kisses and delightfully warm hugs.
- I send you wide open spaces big enough for all your dreams to materialize.
- I send you bright flowers to see, smell, enjoy, and nurture.
- Sending you patience while your body heals.
- I send you good thoughts for successful surgery, for doctors and nurses to care for you with love and honor, and for healing comfort.
- Sending you calm and peace.
- I send you showers of strength as you walk your journey.
- I send you different flavored lollipops to quench your craving.
- Sending you loving hands to cradle your tender heart.
- I send you soothing cups of hot tea, your favorite music to listen to and time for you to relax and enjoy.
- I send you focus and energy as you write today.
- I send you a warm, relaxing breeze, a comfortable hammock with sounds of water lapping on the shore.
- I send you the deep, rich colors of berries to paint your soul.
- Sending you bursts of energy and focus.
- Sending you quiet mornings to savor nature and listen to the musings of your heart.
- I send you a warm hand to hold as you experience the array of feelings that go along with the death of your loved one.
- I send you courage and honor.
- I send you chortles, giggles, and warm hugs.
- I send you over-flowing cups of love to restore your heart and soul.
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