This is something I struggle with almost every moment of every day. How do I separate my emotions from my perceptions and decision process? How do I keep the voice inside my head from skewing my perception of reality in such a way as to hinder my ability to make bonding and lasting connections with those around me? At the core, past experiences have made me believe I am not me, but actually an image of me that has been carved from past experiences. What I find is the image is false as my perception of what really happened in the past was skewed by my perceptions of what happened even before then, and it goes on and on. As of about 3 years ago, I began to understand what being “present” really meant. To me, it means not filtering everything I see through the lens of past history and seeing this moment for what it truly is; this moment.
The two most impactful books I have read to help me begin understanding the idea of presence and emotional control are:
“A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle. http://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963
“Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry, Jean Greaves, and Tom Parks. http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-2-0-Travis-Bradberry/dp/1441842233
In my opinion, the Primal Gentleman lives life in control. And in order to control emotions and perceive the world around us more clearly, there has to be an understanding of our own mind as well as our body. These two books are a great start toward living a more satisfying life and connecting to those around us.
I hope you find some nuggets of truth in those pages!
