Section 2: Emotional Agility & Managing Your Emotions

The driving force and common thread between each of the Perils of Purpose and our struggle to believe The Creator’s truth about us is fear and broader emotions. As we learned in the last unit, fear is necessary for courage, and so long as we surrender our fears to the truth of The Most High we will be courageous. Similar to fear, our broader emotions can have the potential to hinder us yet when surrendered to the truth’s of The Manufacturer, they can be wielded for positive outcomes. 

Some people like to label emotions as either negative or positive, yet it is not the emotion itself that is good or bad, it is how we respond to the emotion that determines whether it is positive or negative. Possessing emotions is a part of our likeness with The Creator characteristics. The Creator is a God of many emotions, scriptures reveal this to us often. Yet, the anchor for The Creator’s emotions are rooted in love, as ours should be. The Word does not teach us that Our Father suppressed emotions, or only showed what the world may deem as “positive” emotions. Instead the scriptures reveal a Creator full of many varying emotions. 

It is not good to suppress our emotions, instead we should learn to manage them. When we are unable to manage our emotions they dominate our minds and dictate our actions. Unmanaged emotions lead to internal chatter that distracts us, derails us and discourages us from fulfilling our purpose. Internal chatter that is not anchored in the truth or the Creator’s promises, even those anchored in unproductive facts, deplete our energy and resources and detract from our purpose. Managing our emotions starts with acknowledgment and acceptance, suppressing them leads to the over occupation of mental real estate. Therefore, we should redirect our emotions to our core values and use our core values and Creator’s principles to direct our actions and responses. 

Emotional agility is about embracing truth! The only certainty is uncertainty, and the only thing that is guaranteed is change. Many of us erroneously codify emotions into “good” and “bad” emotions rather than embracing them for the spectrum that they are or for the necessary purposes that they serve. Many people either brood (get stuck in difficult emotions,) bottle (push away difficult emotions,) or lean into false positivity which are all rigid responses. Rigid denial doesn’t work, it is unsustainable. When we deny our emotions it leads to amplification. Thus, we should embrace and accept that tough emotions are a guarantee in life.

Our emotions, even the toughest ones, can act as beacons or signals to the issues and things in life that matter to us most. According to psychologist and author of Emotional Agility, Susan David, our emotions are data and not directives. She also shared that “emotional agility is the ability to be with your emotions with curiosity, compassion and courage.” This notion posits that our emotions can serve as guides.  While unproductive emotions do not have to be endorsed, all emotions serve as indications of the areas we need to give attention to or improve upon. Emotions are necessary for the work The Creator has called us to. 

The Gift & Power of Emotional Courage

Watch Video: 16:49 mins

This content is not owned by The Munroe Institute of Leadership or The Munroe Group of Companies. All rights reserved are attributed to Susan David & TED.