What Are You Feeling?

It may surprise you that I have made it this far in life only occasionally stopping to observe, “What am I feeling?”

Far more commonly, I wonder, “What am I thinking?”

• Is this a bad or a good idea?

• Do I agree or disagree?

• Who do I trust?

• How can I add value by thinking?

In recent weeks, I’ve flipped the plan.

I stop and pay attention to my body, which answers the question instead of my brain.

It’s almost like learning a new language, which probably sounds ridiculous to those of you who are used to feeling instead of always thinking.

I’ve even pulled out my (square) version of The Feeling Wheel, to help me better identify all my feelings:

Our habits are deeply ingrained. Some act first and think later. Others feel so much, they seldom act. My tendency is to think, act, think, act, act think… (Translation: no matter what, I’m always in my head).

It is possible to change. I’m doing it, and you can, too.

My motivations are simple: to unlock capabilities I haven’t yet used… to be better able to experience flow and awe… to connect (faster) with more people… to be more fully alive.

Plus, I’m increasingly certain that in many situations, you get better answers from your body than your head. Our minds are subject to hundreds of biases that we tend to ignore, while our bodies feel whatever they feel; they operate below the conscious level.

What are you feeling?