Grounded Emotions

These past few years it has become more evident that our world is moving to being softer and more considerate.

You may be thinking, where did he hit his head? Our world seems to be more polarized than ever! 

Try this on for size; people are more emotional than ever.  Much of the public dialogue that we are calling polarized is merely the spouting of emotions oftentimes totally uncontrolled.

When a little child throws a tantrum, they are actually closer to getting the underlying issue resolved or at least validated.  They’re getting the emotion out so they can be more fully present. 

Whether the child is conscious of that process or not, that is the reality of what is going on.  

I believe we are experiencing heightened emotions as a society and that is indicative of the world ready to deal with our collective underlying issues.  When the systems back up it is never pretty, but most of the time, that’s the only way to get to the bottom of it. 

You need to feel it to heal it.

If you accept my premise then a word of caution from this week’s Torah portion.  (If you don’t accept it, there are other places to apply this message.)

Gotta keep your feet on the ground! We now know that when emotions run riot we ought not shut them down.  As I said you need to feel it to heal it.

However, that doesn’t equal getting stuck in emotions.  Our gift of being Human is that we can think our way through things.  Breathe the emotion, feel it, for as long as you need. But then start navigating towards understanding the source of the emotions and the strong reactions/triggers.

Keep your feet on the ground even as you experience intense emotions or intense spiritual experiences.  This is what Hashem told Moses as he received his first interaction with Him at the Burning Bush.  Remove your shoes so you feel the ground and so you can be grounded, for the ground you stand on is Holy.   

In Moses’ case it was a spiritual trip he was going on. But the spiritual trip is closely related to the emotional trip. And the emotional trip too needs that grounding.

Good grounding is the tool that empowers us to be her for our emotional generation! The time is now, the place is here.

Good Shabbos!

Enjoying what
you've read?

Here's more.

February 1, 2023

Self Sacrifice 2023

Rabbi Schusterman

I guess we first need to validate the self for there to be self sacrifice.  Well in 2023 there is no...

September 4, 2019

The Sinners Guide to High Holiday Prep

Rabbi Schusterman

I love that I got your attention :-).  A lecture by a local Rabbi entitled “How to atone for sins...

December 21, 2016

Chanukah: Who Needs to Justify its Utter Delight?

Chabad Intown

Chanukah is utter delight. Why, then, examine the origin of the delight? Why tempt joy with analysis,...