In general, refusing to buy into the garbage that pops in our heads (ie, our thoughts) can take you a long way to that state of peace — without having to be dead :)

We can apply the same principle to almost every aspect that we allow to define our lives. The fact that "i want to be happy" and that is the right deal. And being sad that is the wrong thing. The world is obsessed with the want of happiness. That strict notion that we MUST be happy and avoid sadness and disappointment at all costs. If we just sunk in the message that there is no happiness or sadness or more accurately the real 'we' don't have the need to be either.

First of all — there's no need to apologise at all.. It's a free web, you go right ahead & comment on anything you like!! :)

Secondly, I'm super glad that what I've written has helped — even just a little. Thank you so much for writing to tell me.

Ultimately I think, the best that any of us can do — regardless of the day-to-day injuries, injustices & setbacks, is just to love ourselves.. as much as we possibly can, & then a little more. It's one thing to physically be hurt, but so much more of the pain comes from beating ourselves up afterwards.. & changing that is as easy as making a choice.

A funny side effect? The more we love ourselves, the faster everything heals — emotionally & physically.

Thing is, I've been injured every day for over a year. Nothing tragic or dramatic–just a sprained joint here, tendonitis there, a stress fracture, and so on. Again, nothing tragic, but just enough to limit the things I like to do. No hiking. No riding. No running. No pushups.

And I'm young! This shouldn't be happening to me!

But it is.

I felt for the longest time–and sometimes still feel–as if each injury chipped away a little bit at my identity. After all, I can't yet do all of my favorite activities. I needed the reminder that there is something to me that makes me me, something independent of my body. It seems so obvious now. A bird with a broken wing is still a bird.

I'm sure there will still be days when I feel upset and angry. But right now, I feel a little bit better. So thank you.

Thank you so much for sharing. That's a pretty tough lesson you've had to learn. A good one. I'm sorry you had to get hurt in the process.

The good news is, it's very possible to let go of these emotions, to have them have significantly less power over us. Takes some practice, but even just being aware, & letting them go when they do arise.. that's really all it takes. As you do this, over time these 'reactive' emotions just stop occurring anywhere near as much, & then eventually not at all.

You're already taking powerful steps.

On xmas eve, I allowed myself to become so angry during an argument with my father, that I literally jumped out of his car while we were at a stop light and attempted to run across the street. My intention at the time was to remove myself from the situation that was causing me to be angry. I was going to walk the rest of the way home — about two blocks — because I thought at the time I couldn't stand to be in the car with him while he was acting in a way that provoked these intense, upset feelings. I knew I couldn't control his behavior, so I thought the only way to calm down was to control my own behavior.

The only problem was, I let my emotions control my behavior. I didn't get across the first lane of the street when a car going 35–40 mph struck me, causing me to fall on the asphalt, breaking my left wrist, and tearing a crucial ligament in my right knee.

When the driver stopped his car and, with a horrified look on his face, came to see if I was okay, all I could think to say was "I'm sorry".

What is my point?

My point is that these past three months, through surgeries and physical therapy and time spent living back at my parents house while I recover and gradually reclaim my physical independence, I have had time to think about why this all happened. I don't think I'll ever know why or how I let my anger get the best of me, but it's clear to me now that, as you said, I was not and am not my emotions. They (anger, hurt, fear, etc) were clearly clouding what I consider my own common sense.

"Look both ways before crossing the street."

Every small child in America hears this from adults, yet I, a 26-year-old woman, forgot it in a split-second because I was too busy listening and surrendering to the emotions that I now see as a poison that swiftly injected itself into my rationale.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the tangent. What I'm trying to say is thank you for bringing all of this awareness to the forefront of my mind. I'll probably continue to try and make sense of this incident in my life, but at least now I have a more clear picture of how to recognize these emotions and what power they have if I choose to yield to them.

Also, consider me a new subscriber.