Wouldn’t you love to be able to just reset your brain? Are you like me? Are there times when there are so many thoughts swirling around your brain, and you just want them to stop? We talk about the self-bullying that a lot of us have going on in our brain and this is what it feels like so much of the time. Are you receiving alerts that something is wrong? I’ve received alerts in the past that something is wrong and I had no idea what the alert meant. Listen & Subscribe on: iTunes / Stitcher / Podbean / Overcast / Spotify Are you receiving alerts that something is wrong? I’ve received alerts in the past that something is wrong and I had no idea what the alert meant. I’ve learned that when I see an alert on my printer, it definitely means something. It’s out of paper or it’s low on ink. I know I have to deal with it, or else I’m not going to be doing much printing. Is Your Trouble Light Flashing? The same is true in my car. I once ignored an engine light on a car I was driving, and I ended up being stranded on a 4-lane highway, with a hot, steaming engine. That wasn’t much fun. So I learned that when a warning light on the dash lights up, the responsible thing to do is to actually deal with the problem that the warning light is referring to. Our emotions are like those warning lights on the car. I’ve heard people call them trouble lights, because they usually warn you of trouble brewing somewhere. I’m sure you’ve seen them, lights that refer to overheating: Low Tire inflation, Door Ajar, Tailgate Ajar, Windshield Washer Low, Engine Coolant Level Low, Fuel Level Low. Your Personal Trouble Lights Did you know your emotions are like those warning lights? Emotions are the human body’s way of telling you something needs attention. With the human body, the warning lights are in the form of emotions like anger, pain, guilt, sadness, stress, frustration, and loneliness, among others. Experiencing Pain? If you experience pain, you’d better do something about it. If it’s anger, or anxiety, or loneliness, or sadness, you can take action and do something to deal with that emotion too. None of those emotions are bad, they’re just happening to tell us that something is going on that we need to deal with. Sometimes we think certain emotions are bad or negative, but if you figure out why the emotion is happening, you’ll likely come to the conclusion that it’s not necessarily bad, or good, it just is. I have to admit, there have been times when I just want to take a piece of black tape and stick it over the Engine Warning light on certain cars I’ve had. I just wanted to pretend that warning light wasn’t appearing, and sometimes, I’d convince myself that the light itself was malfunctioning and there really was nothing wrong with the car. Covering Up Emotions I’ve done that with my emotions sometimes. I’d get angry, and I’d want to cover it up and pretend it wasn’t there. What do we do to cover up our emotions? We get ‘Crazy Busy’, doing things that help us forget about the anger. Sometimes, we shop, or go on a trip, or use a substance. That substance might be food, marijuana, booze, cocaine, crack or other drugs. Those substances help you forget that your warning lights are on. They can help us forget, at least in the short term, but usually we end up with way bigger problems as a result of covering up the emotion in the first place. But how do we actually deal with the emotion without pushing it away or pretending it isn’t there? Taking Action Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do. A lot of you would likely talk to a trusted friend. How great do you feel when you’ve had a chance to really share what’s bothering you with someone you like and trust? I think we’re supposed to lean on each other for help and to hopefully be able to be vulnerable enough to open up and vent what we’re feeling emotionally. Some people talk to a counselor or therapist. That can certainly be helpful. Another thing that can help immensely is to