Dear Dr. Romance:
I read your article "Emotions as Weather". I'm glad to hear someone is talking about this subject out there. I began noticing this phenomenon when I started living communally. Feelings would chase around a room much in the same way a yawn might migrate around a commuter bus in the morning.
We have, particularly in western culture, a way of overemphasizing the boundaries of individuality. There really is a balance in life to be struck between existence and connection. Concieving of emotions as weather patterns takes much of the burden (dare i say 'wind') out of overpersonalizing feelings. One can be angry or going through some anger.
I have become a professional investor and in so doing, have learned how important it is to be able to observe the emotions driving markets and myself. I have suffered greatly as many do watching charts, not knowing why I was feeling so strongly about this or that stock. In the beginning I got quite sick to my stomach actually. Now what I ask myself is 'am I in synch with what others are feeling out there right now?' Sometimes just listening to my stomach is all I need to do to realize I am giving too much power to uncontrollable events. I've developed strategies based on a mistrust of my own sense of paranoia and overconfidence. I have created communities on online contests (including my own), in order to participate in the greater experience of the weather. My results are simply incredible.
We are in different fields, but I think you are really on to something and should pursue it diligently. There is a spiritual basis there that may still be undiscovered.
Dear Reader:
Thanks for your insight. I'm happy to get your thoughtful response. It sounds as if you're learning to ride the ups and downs of the market, which is a great skill to have these days. We are indeed thinking along the same lines. "Attitude Adjustment"; "Autonomy vs Dependency;" "Weaving the Web" and "Creating Connections: Draw Them In" and , It Ends With You: Grow up and Out of Dysfunction will all help you understand more about emotional ups and downs and how to understand what motivates people.
For low-cost phone counseling, email me at [email protected]