When at Uni, we were setting up a big show, and had hired a famous “Theatresports” actor to come and train us.
We were walking around in a circle, him shouting out commands: “Sad”! And then you immediately felt sad, feeling the drooping around your eyes, your mouth sagging, heavy, empty eyes. “Happy” he shouts, and your eyes light up, a big smile fills your face, your shoulders go back and your steps suddenly have a bounce.
Then the next command was fired at us: “Angry”! Nothing. No reaction in my body. No memory jumping out from any drawers in my brain. At 23 – I just didn’t recognise that feeling. I of course faked something, but it made me silently thank my parents for having brought up my brother and I in a nearly Buddhistic way (my exaggerated take, reality: we were a totally average suburban, middle class family, dressed normally, eating normally – salt and pepper being exotic spices. Side track!!). Anyway, thanking them for always having talked nicely and respectfully.
Anyway, had the command been “Frustrated” or “Annoyed”, boy, would my body and mind have remembered that instantly, but anger didn’t turn up. Stay assured: through the rest of my life I have put myself into enough situations creating anger, so todayI do know how it feels?.
The point is not for you to sign up to the local theatre club (by all means please do, if I triggered some interest!), but just making you aware that we have all these emotions “on stock”. And certain people or situations push the buttons and cause a reaction.
Or even if we’re just DOWN one day, it is “just” an emotion!! You can think back of a situation that makes you happy – and I tell you, it will help your mood move up a few notches.
So have fun next time you’re shopping: down the aisles of the supermmarket, recall “Happy”, “Annoyed”, “Bored”, “Ecstatic” – so much fun! And a secondary gain here: notice which reactions you get back, I bet you “Happy” will give some smiles back??