The Astonishing Power of Emotions: Let Your Feelings Be Your Guide
AUTHOR: Esther and Jerry Hicks (The Teachings of Abraham)
PUBLISHED: 2007
MY COMMENTS:
Does your life ever feel like you’re hitting your head against the wall every way you turn? Feeling that life is difficult, people are difficult, work is difficult? Do you have times when you’re ready to tear your hair out … or worse?
Perhaps you feel that you’re constantly, I dunno, paddling upstream … ? And maybe you wish you could just let go of the damn oars … ?
Well, this is exactly what this book is about. It teaches us how to shift from living life frantically paddling “upstream” and instead make the turn “downstream.”
And the cool thing is, it is sooo much easier than we might think!
I found this to be a super helpful book to read … at any time, but especially when life was proving difficult.
I first came across it in 2013 and discovered it to be a valuable tool that offers a different perspective on common life challenges. But with so many other books still on my list, once I’d finished reading it, I set it back on the shelf and put it out of mind.
And then a couple of years ago, I was considering lending it to a friend. As it happened, at the time I was dealing with a troublesome “life challenge” … an event that was very disappointing and difficult to come to terms with, causing me a lot of stress.
Before I recommended this book to my friend, I thought I should reread it to see if it still was as worthwhile as I remembered it being. (Just like movies, not all books stand the test of time!)
And as I did so, I was surprised to realize this was just what the doctor ordered … for me!
Going back through it helped me to regain my equilibrium and maintain a more peaceful perspective until the matter resolved.
You know, I would have thought that after years of reading, listening and absorbing these sorts of concepts … ones that reinforce the existence of a Bigger Picture … ones that encourage taking a step back to put life’s daily challenges into perspective … I should have it all figured out and wouldn’t need reminders.
Yeah, right.
As a friend recently told me, life is messy … it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. But I’ve learned the key is to have lifelines ready to pull myself out.
For me, there are a few books I turn to when I need help … The Astonishing Power of Emotions is one of them.
So, what’s it all about?
This book describes how we each create a vision of what we want our life to be … whether we realize we’re doing this or not.
It then explains how to know if we’re on track for allowing it to unfold as we desire, and most importantly, if we’re not on track, how to fix it!
Uh, creating a vision of my life … ?
Yup. This is where the fundamental concepts of the Law of Attraction come into play … the real concepts, not the misrepresentations and misunderstandings that are bandied about in online forums.
In fact, this book comes directly from the original source of the “Law of Attraction” phenomenon … Abraham … the higher, non-physical consciousness that author Esther Hicks is able to tune into and receive information from.
This means it’s a channeled work, like the last book from Esther and Jerry Hicks I posted, “Ask and It Is Given.” (By the way, that post will give you an explanation of “channeled work,” if you’re not familiar with it.)
Okay, so how do I tell if I’m on track for achieving my vision?
Well, that’s the magic of all this! It is soooo simple. Apparently, we are hardwired to know. Our feelings and emotions serve as an “emotional guidance system” to give us the answer.
I could explain it to you in a few sentences, it’s that simple. However … accepting it, internalizing it and applying it … well, that’s another matter. And that’s what the book is all about.
So, tell me more about what’s in the book
Start with the Preface … yes, seriously, I know people who never read them, but this one is valuable. It describes the why’s, how’s, and who’s of what this book is and who Abraham is, the source of “Law of Attraction.”
I have often heard people criticize the Law of Attraction, saying something along the lines of, “If the Law of Attraction says all you have to do is ask in order to get what you want, then why do things happen in my life that I DON’T want? What’s the purpose? Am I doing something wrong or is this just a lot of bunk, like my buddy says?”
This book addresses this common question, along with many, many other important questions.
It’s divided into two main parts …
Part I Discovering the Astonishing Power of Emotions
This first part describes the fundamental concepts. It’s a relatively short section of just 40 pages because, as I’ve mentioned, the core concept is actually quite simple.
But it’s also one of the most profound learnings we can have in this life.
It describes what is meant by the struggle to “paddle upstream” and the ease of “letting go of the oars” and “turning downstream.”
It introduces the power of our emotions to be our internal guidance system.
It explains the absolute critical role that having experiences we don’t want plays in moving us forward into a life that we do want.
Part II Demonstrating the Astonishing Power of Emotions
This is where the rubber meets the road. This section describes how to put into practice the concepts just laid out.
It contains 33 different scenarios of difficult life situations which cause angst, hurt, resentment, guilt, depression, frustration … you name it. And it shows how to find relief from all of these emotions.
Examples include relationship issues, such as, I’m getting a divorce, my partner is smothering me, my teenager doesn’t get along with my new husband ….
It addresses health issues … I’ve just been given a critical diagnosis, my husband is very sick, my mother has Alzheimer’s, my pet is sick.
It tackles financial challenges … I never have enough money.
It addresses emotions associated with loss, and not just of people, but pets, too. In fact, when I was faced with the prospect of having to let my last fur-kid go, reading this was a tremendous boost in helping me come to terms with the decision.
In my opinion …
This isn’t a book to skim … it’s a book to immerse yourself in. The concepts can be life-changing, if you let them be.
I’d also strongly encourage you to read through ALL of the examples, even if you don’t feel they apply to you, because each write-up includes content that is broader than just the example at hand. It serves to reinforce the concepts in many different ways.
As for the source of this information being channeled, as I’ve mentioned previously, if that’s not a concept you are comfortable with, just read it as coming directly from the authors.
Either way, this book has the potential to turn one’s life around … which is why it’s on my (short) list of FAVOURITES.
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