How to Stay in Control of Your Emotions
Our world has been through so much in the past few years. We’ve been tested with illness, political unrest, worldwide upheaval, and I’m sure most of you have experienced difficult things on a personal level. I recently told a friend that it feels like the most certain thing in our lives is the uncertainty!
Living with that level of uncertainty can really throw us off kilter. So how can you cope with all of this? How can you not let emotions rule you at a time when everything seems to be on edge? As a teenager I dealt with a tragic event that helped me learn how to deal with intense emotions and events. It truly changed my life and I hope it can help you too.
A Tragic Event that Taught Me a Life Lesson
Trigger Warning: This article talks about events that may be triggering to some.
This is one of the hardest stories for me to tell because it centers on one of the most difficult experiences I’ve ever gone through: the death of my high school boyfriend. I share it with you now to honor Andy and his family and to show you that, even in the depths of despair, we can move forward.
On the day of my high school graduation, on his way to pick me up, my boyfriend, Andy, was killed in a car accident. Of course, this was shocking and devastating and it took my family months to process what had happened. But with the amazing support of my parents, I got through it and I remember telling myself frequently, “I can't control what happened, but I can control my attitude towards it”.
Now looking back, I can see I was truly wise beyond my years. I remember thinking clearly: “I can either dwell on this and stay depressed, sad, and miserable or I can move through it and go on to live my life”. I decided to not let that tragedy define me. Once I made that decision – and acted on it – I was overcome with a feeling of inner strength. I can still remember that moment and I have carried this mantra with me throughout my whole life:
We Can Move On
As I write this, we are still deep into the Covid-19 pandemic and I see these same emotions swirling in my and my family’s life. It’s all so uncertain and seemingly out of our control. We are all being tested right now and this lack of control over everything is really weighing down on us.
These moments in our life are truly the heart of the storm. But in every storm, there is a place of quiet. This is physics. This is biology. This is the natural law. We can reach this place of quiet, of emptiness, of peace, even within this huge storm. Now is truly the time to bring forward all the tools we have learned over the years and work to reach that place of quiet.
I’ve been relying on my toolkit and it’s helped. Every day I meditate, I go for a beautiful nature walk. Every evening we've been chanting. I try to reach out to loved ones who are maybe alone or older and I’ve been bringing groceries to our neighbor. We’re finding ways to bring peace and happiness to our little bubble because we cannot control what is happening beyond that.
Right now, we have the power to stay calm in the storm and to dig up resources and inner strengths that have always been there but buried under the busyness of life. You have it in you. We have it in all of us. Just for a moment, close your eyes and feel that strength. Feel how you are connected to something so much bigger than yourself. So much bigger than anything that you can control.
That is a connection to the spirit. That is a connection to the light. That is a connection to all goodness. That is a connection to love. And that love is there in the middle of every storm.
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Who is Leslie Kuster?
I became a 7-figure woman entrepreneur in my 50s -- with my successful Back from Bali clothing brand! It took some getting real with myself to finally say, “Damn it, I want money!” Now I am here to ignite women entrepreneurs -- like you -- to experience the empowerment, independence and joy of creating a business that brings you both money and freedom. Read more about my story here.