Hey there, friend—
This week on the path, I’m zooming in on the two things that tend to consume us when we’re faced with making big life decisions—our emotions and the haunting thoughts that accompany them—plus the one thing we ignore when we shouldn’t—our intuition.
Big life decisions can feel terrifying (or exciting) because you know it’s going to alter the course of your life in some unknown way.
Your emotions are the #1 thing that can (and will) derail you on your path, and the thoughts that keep them alive will send you to the darkest of places.
When I first considered separating from my (now ex) husband, I was flooded with all the emotions: anger, deep sadness, fear, confusion, humiliation, and total despair.
Then came the back-and-forth thoughts—’am I doing the right thing, should I be trying harder, what is wrong with me, what am I missing?’
My emotions and the ensuing thoughts had me on the proverbial hamster wheel for a year prior to finally making the decision.
The truth is, I knew deep in my heart and soul that it was over. I could feel and sense it in a way I couldn’t explain. My intuition was screaming from the inside and yet, my mind was trying to hold on.
I knew. I just didn’t want to accept the truth of what I knew.
We’re all given these Universal tests of our strength from time to time on our path.
The question is, are you able to quiet your thoughts and emotions so you can hear your inner voice—and, are you willing to move on the decision you know to be true and right—for you?
Here are my tips for regulating your mindset and emotions and making a call when you’re feeling flooded.
- Acknowledge how you are feeling. Sit down, breathe deeply, get still, and feel into your emotions. Lovingly accept them—and yourself—in this moment (and whenever they arise). It’s okay to feel angry, to feel sad, to feel afraid—that is a normal human experience. Don’t try to shut the discomfort out. Rather, learn to be with the discomfort and, when it passes, tap into what you inherently know to be true deep inside (your intuition, your gut, that inner voice of reason).
- Observe your thoughts while they’re playing out. See if you can separate your thoughts from who you are. Rather than getting swept up in the hurricane of thinking, write down the thoughts you’re having so that you can work with them objectively. Ask each thought what it’s trying to teach, tell, or offer you. Are they trying to point you in a different direction or show you where healing is needed? Weigh the pros and cons on both sides of the decision.
- Trust your gut. You are connected to your Creator and are always being guided. If that’s too ‘woo’ for your belief system, think of it as your gut instinct that fires off feelings of comfort or discomfort (truth or untruth) when you consider all the options in front of you. If it feels true or right—even (and especially) when you can’t explain it—that’s your sign.
On a side note, there is no passing or failing of these big life tests. Whatever choice you make, there is no right or wrong—only lessons to be learned.
I chose to stick it out for another six months and was repeatedly given more of the same (of what I shared last week). I guess I just needed a few more doses of reality before I was ready to listen to what I already knew. 🙃
I don’t have any regrets about the choices I made then and, there were hard lessons learned.
Today, I listen to that part of me—or God, the Universe, Source (whatever it is)—intently, and I make the hard decisions more quickly, with more clarity. And, I’ve been able to move more swiftly down my path because of it.
Hope these tips help you in some way as your journey continues to unfold.
Nothing prepares us for the work like doing the work.
Always Be Rising,
An International Bestselling Author, Lifestyle and Leadership Coach and speaker, Tris Thorp is one of today’s leading experts in the field of personal growth and leadership development, specializing in emotional healing, women’s empowerment and shadow work.
Having spent a decade traveling the world, being trained by and sharing the stage with Dr. Deepak Chopra in the field of social emotional learning, consciousness and mindfulness-based practices, Tris has a real gift for integrating the ancient spiritual teachings with modern-day science and mindfulness to help people all over the world let go of their past and create an empowered new future.
During her tenure at the Chopra Center, Tris apprenticed under the Chopra Center’s co-founder Dr. David Simon, co-facilitating the Healing the Heart and Emotional Freedom workshops alongside him. Prior to his passing in 2012, Dr. Simon appointed Tris as the person to carry on his teachings in the field of emotional healing. In addition, Tris was fortunate to be mentored by the late Debbie Ford prior to her passing in 2013, which is where she continued her extensive studies of the unconscious mind and concepts of the persona and shadow. After the loss of her two mentors, Tris went on to become certified through the Ford Institute as a coach specializing in Shadow Work and reconciling mental and emotional issues stemming from past experiences. She continues to share the gifts of emotional healing and facilitating this work in the footsteps of her former mentors.
Tris is the International bestselling author of Healing Your Heart: Rewrite Your Story with Awareness and Intention. A guide book to understanding your emotions, how we create our story and workable tools and techniques to heal from the past, Healing Your Heart stewards you through the process of releasing mental and emotional baggage, forgiving yourself and others, setting and enforcing boundaries and consciously communicating your needs in a loving and effective way so you can be who you’re meant to be, do the things you want to do and have all that you deserve to have in this life.
Tris is also the co-author of bestseller Mental and Emotional Release® with Dr. Matt James. Written in a language both professionals and non-professionals can understand, Mental and Emotional Release® offers real life case studies, an overview of MER and its foundation, step by step scripts to follow, and clinical efficacy studies comparing MER to other therapies.
Clearly in her dharma, Tris’s passion and dedication to gently guide people on their inward journey through personal growth is evident in her work as a Lifestyle and Leadership coach, Trainer of Mental and Emotional Release and workshop facilitator. She teaches various courses on leadership development, personal empowerment, social emotional learning and higher states of consciousness – both in online courses and her certification programs, live workshops, VIP retreats and 1-1 clients.
Tris Thorp is Board Certified by the Association of Integrative Psychology as a Trainer of Mental and Emotional Release ®, Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, Hypnosis, and Mental and Emotional Release ®, a Certified Reiki Master, and an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance.
Tris is devoted to inspiring and empowering others to cultivate and maintain mindfulness-based lifestyle practices that lead to greater clarity, purpose and fulfillment. Through one-on-one coaching, online programs and live events, Tris specializes in helping people to fully release negative emotions, limiting beliefs and unconscious patterns, enabling them to make quantum leaps into the life they are truly meant to be living.