Feelings are markers of reality...
We think that feeling positive emotions (joy, inspiration...) is good. And negative ones (anger, envy...) are bad.
But that's not quite right. Feelings can't be bad or good in themselves. They simply are.
Often we don't want to feel anything at all, because we're afraid of suffering. But the problem is that when we refuse to feel negative emotions, we end up blocking the positive ones too. And then we stop being able to fully feel anything. Because of this, many people can never experience the fullness of life.
It's very important to track your feelings in the present moment, because our actions arise from our feelings. If we skip the stage of becoming aware of our feelings, we immediately jump into action.
For example, if I feel irritated and I'm not aware of it, I automatically start yelling. But once I become aware of the feeling of irritation, I can choose how to act: yell, stay silent, speak calmly, go to another room, or take some other action. You see — a choice has appeared!
FEELINGS determine our ACTIONS.
