I’m often asked: What is emotional development? When you explore the Internet for the answer, the common answers are based on feelings and emotions. In addition to recognising the effect of your feelings of those around you.
I think what is so much more important is the thought process, because everything starts with a ‘thought’. Here’s an inspiring video from Kent Healy and it includes the work of Dr Masaru Emoto. Dr Emoto showed the impact of our ‘thoughts’ on water. This is very pertinent when you consider our body is made up mostly of water. Approximately 85% of your brain, 80% of your blood and 70% of your muscles are water. Your thoughts have a profound effect on your body and how you feel.
How the thought process works
As part of my coach training I studied the work of Sydney Banks and his ‘Three Principles’. They are mind, consciousness and thought. The simplicity of the ‘thought’ module had a big impact on me . See the process as a cycle as shown in the diagram below.
We are bombarded with thoughts all the time, sometimes we are aware, but mostly not.
However, we are aware when the thought reaches the point of affecting our feelings and emotions. Mostly when we are uncomfortable, or there is an action or behaviour we don’t like.
It might not even be until someone reacts the way we don’t like or want.
When you monitor the thought and it’s a good thought experience, your next ‘thought’ will create an upward spiral with a positive emotional state. And the opposite is true!! It’s not easy to see the simplicity of this process in the heat of the moment. And it’s not easy to step back and identify this process happening around you, which is why we need to practice monitoring how this cycle happens in our lives. We can then choose what action we take. Why would you choose not to be happy?
There is a great deal of information on emotional development thoughout our website here.
