Our bodies are great sensors of the world around us. We are constantly taking the emotional temperature of our world, sensing whether we are safe or not, wanted or not, coming in first or last. All of these readings are being taken automatically, instant by instant. Our bodies are exquisite Space Shuttles sailing through our lives, pouring great streams of data back to command central—way more and way faster than our conscious brain can process it.

We are sensing so much all the time that it is hard for our Thinking Brain to even read all the dials. We are overwhelmed with data from our world. We may be registering hungry, impatient, compassionate, scared and mad all at once. We may love our kids and still feel so resentful of the demands of parenthood. We may want to care for our family but hate going to our job. You may love your mate and really dislike some of his traits. You may love your mate and hate him in some ways.

Can that be? If we love someone can we hate him at the same time?

Sure we can. Evidently we are so complex we can have completely contradictory feelings towards someone or something at the same time. Maybe that is confusing to you. Maybe you think we should be more logical than that, or make more sense than that. But we don’t.

Our ability to sense our place in the world is so fine-tuned that we can be aware of lots and lots of feelings all at once. And, yes, some of these may contradict each other. That is not to say that we have to EXPRESS everything to others that we are feeling. Feelings and sensations can be private. We don’t have to share them all. We can just note them for ourselves, and hold them for ourselves. Or we might use them in a soft, gentle way—the way you subtly move your steering wheel to keep your car in your own lane.



		Mixed Feelings Our bodies are great sensors of the world around us. We are constantly taking the emotional temperature of our world, sensing whether we are safe or not, wanted or not, coming in first or last. All of these readings are being taken automatically, instant by instant. Our bodies are exquisite Space Shuttles sailing through our lives, pouring great streams of data back to command central—way more and way faster than our conscious brain can process it. We are sensing so much all the time that it is hard for our Thinking Brain to even read all the dials. We are overwhelmed with data from our world. We may be registering hungry, impatient, compassionate, scared and mad all at once. We may love our kids and still feel so resentful of the demands of parenthood. We may want to care for our family but hate going to our job. You may love your mate and really dislike some of his traits. You may love your mate and hate him in some ways. Can that be? If we love someone can we hate him at the same time? Sure we can. Evidently we are so complex we can have completely contradictory feelings towards someone or something at the same time. Maybe that is confusing to you. Maybe you think we should be more logical than that, or make more sense than that. But we don’t. Our ability to sense our place in the world is so fine-tuned that we can be aware of lots and lots of feelings all at once. And, yes, some of these may contradict each other. That is not to say that we have to EXPRESS everything to others that we are feeling. Feelings and sensations can be private. We don’t have to share them all. We can just note them for ourselves, and hold them for ourselves. Or we might use them in a soft, gentle way—the way you subtly move your steering wheel to keep your car in your own lane.