Hello Beautiful Sharon,

If you've been reading my emails for a while, you've probably noticed my number one message:

Feeling good is your superpower, and it's worth making your number one daily goal! Feeling good, feels good, and it makes your life work better!

One of my biggest blocks to feeling good has been my stubbornness, especially when I feel I've been treated unfairly or someone believes something about me that isn't true.

One of my favorite tools, when I remember to use it, has saved me hours, maybe even decades, of unnecessary misery. Before my inner tirade takes hold, I stop and ask myself:

Would you rather feel good, or feel bad?

I learned this years ago from Abraham Hicks. I love it because it makes everything so clear. Of course, I want to feel good.

This morning, while out on my hike, I caught myself just as I was starting to spiral. I was replaying a situation where someone believed something about me that wasn't true. In my mind, I started defending myself and building my case.

Then, yay, I remembered and stopped my rant before it took root.

"What do you want to experience, Sharon? Do you want to feel good or feel bad?"

It may sound like a silly question, but it interrupts an old habit. So often, we let our past, our stories, or our automatic reactions decide how we feel instead of consciously choosing the experience we want.

"Do you want to spend this hike replaying the story, or enjoying the birds singing, the morning light playing through the trees, and whatever surprises nature has waiting for you?"

I didn't pretend I wasn't upset. I let myself briefly feel how miserable those thoughts made me. They weren't helping me. They were only adding more suffering.

Then I remembered some of my favorite hikes, where I was completely present for the beauty and magic around me. I basked in those delightful memories, and my stubbornness began to melt away.

Within a minute, I was listening to the birds instead of my arguments.

You don't have to know exactly how to feel good. You simply have to become willing.

It starts with saying yes to feeling good, even when you have good reasons to feel bad.

After all, who needs relief more than someone who is suffering?

Acknowledging painful emotions is healthy. Living in them and feeding them isn't.

Feeling good doesn't mean pretending something didn't happen or avoiding problems. It means putting yourself in the best state to respond to reality.

Research shows that when we calm our nervous system, our brain works better.

We think more clearly, become more creative, make wiser decisions, and are better able to protect ourselves, solve problems, and take the next right step. Chronic stress doesn't just feel awful. Over time, it can affect both our physical and mental health. That's one more reason learning to return to a calmer, better-feeling state is one of the healthiest gifts we can give ourselves.

Our negative emotions aren't the enemy. They're valuable messengers. They let us know we've wandered into thoughts that are increasing our suffering instead of easing it.

Instead of judging ourselves for feeling bad, we can thank those feelings for the message. Then, little by little, reach for thoughts that bring a little more peace, hope, appreciation, or joy.

Every time we do, we're strengthening new neural pathways. Thanks to neuroplasticity, the more often we interrupt an old pattern and choose a better-feeling direction, the easier that path becomes, just like walking a trail through the woods.

Feeling good feels good... and it works better.

It quiets unnecessary suffering. It helps you think more clearly, love more deeply, solve problems more wisely, and enjoy the life that's happening right now.

"There is no greater gift than feeling good in the now moment."

In joy,

Sharon 

P.S. If you're ready to stop repeating old patterns and start living with more peace, confidence, and joy, I'd love to help.

Hypnosis sessions can help you calm your nervous system, transform limiting beliefs, and create healthier responses from the inside out.

Schedule your FREE Discovery Session and let's explore what's possible together.

✨ Freedom from unwanted habits and addictions
✨ Greater confidence, peace, and emotional well-being
✨ Support for health, healing, and stress reduction
✨ Achieving your goals and creating a life you love

If you're local to Garden Valley, come join me for a FREE self-hypnosis series at the library! Call the library to sign up 208 462-3317