Using EMO to Transform the Day!

In the 1970's, while in my 20’s, I achieved my childhood dream job. I was a prime-time morning radio broadcaster in a major U.S. market. Because it was a country radio station, I had the opportunity to meet and introduce on stage the major singers of that time. Big names like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Sonny James, and Marty Robbins. I was honored by write-ups in the local papers and a segment on television news. I was invited to emcee events around the area and received many phone calls while on the air. It was a very exciting time in my life. But, the grind of waking up at 4:30 in the morning, six days a week, plus many evening appearances took its toll. I was burning out. One morning I remember waking up and reviewing the entire day ahead. I felt overwhelmed and promptly quit my dream job.

How many times do we open our eyes in the morning and dread the day ahead of us? We think of the difficult meeting that morning, an annoying colleague, or maybe a crucial deadline. Perhaps we face a very long and tedious 14 hour day and wonder whether we will get any “down time.” We feel worn down before we ever begin. No wonder a jolt or two of caffeine is needed to begin our day!

How different would our day be if we take a moment to use EMO to transform the day ahead? Lately, I have been experimenting with that idea and have experienced amazing results! The process I am about to describe was inspired by Silvia Hartmann’s Greeting the Day, Greeting The Night exercise and incorporates several elements from the Emotrance toolkit.

Currently, I work as a busy IT manager in a university setting. I am constantly barraged by staff with computer issues, web servers going down, meetings about this and that, new staff to be trained, and on and on…No wonder I come home weary, sometimes to the point of taking a nap before dinner! No wonder I wake up to a quick pounding in my heart that signals a day filled with interruptions, frustrated users, and the endless stream of requests at my door, on my computer, and on the phone.

Now, when I awake, I take a moment to perform the Heart Healing exercise. This immediately soothes the heart before it has a chance to skip a few beats in anticipation of the day. Next, I scan the day ahead in my mind and notice what I feel and where that energy is in my body. Usually, it displays as tension in the shoulders or a tightness in the stomach. I gently soften these energies and follow them through and out of my body. Then, I focus on key events of the day such as that important meeting, deadline, or that expected but unexpected interruption. Where do I feel these in my body? Soften and flow. Usually, I end with the Innocent Energy evocation and I am refreshed and ready for the day. This process of heart healing, ET, and innocent energy is an excellent breakfast energy “sandwich” of exercises to nourish the day to a great start!

I have noticed that as things come up during the day, I calmly and confidently deal with these matters. I don’t feel overwhelmed. As a matter of fact, I feel more energized and light-hearted. Occasionally, I need to run the EMO procedure throughout the day for certain situations, but mostly I can operate on autopilot and have the stress automatically and quickly run through me. Most important, I can go home and have energy for my family.