How we experience emotions and what we do with them greatly impacts upon our daily lives. How often have you looked back on your actions and wondered "Why on earth did I do that?" Bottom line: it’s better to count to ten and reflect on the likely consequences of our actions, before sending out that emotionally charged e-mail!

Recently, an article in the New York Times on functional MRI studies about anxiety (“Understanding the anxious mind”, New York Times Magazine, 9/29/09) discussed recent research on the amygdala, the primitive part of the human brain that processes and generates emotional reactions. Findings suggest that the prefrontal cortex play a key part in the modulating or directing of such emotions/anxiety toward constructive or destructive behaviors.

In many ways, our keeping mental perspective is similar to paying attention to the rising tides and the ocean’s undertow. If we don’t, it's more likely that we'll find ourselves thrashing around on the beach, maybe getting soaking wet and maybe cursing the waves. On the other hand, if we maintain perspective and say to ourselves “this is the beach and this is what waves do”, we will be less likely to blame the tide and more likely to enjoy the surf.

Even with all our high tech gadgets, we are all still emotionally-driven. Emotions come and go each day, just like the tides, for reasons we don’t really understand. Sometimes, the tides are so strong, perhaps stirred by a heavy storm, that beach erosion becomes a concern and it’s wise to build an artificial reef to minimize property damage. Similarly, if moods are so intense that you’ve been doing some damage to your work life or relationships, a bit of medicine may be needed to modulate what may indeed be a biochemical issue beyond your control.

More often, though, these emotions can be used constructively; if we take the time to pause, perhaps take two or three breaths BEFORE acting. Such a break often brings a bit of clarity and most often leads to behaviors that we can be content with in the future. Strong emotions are like dynamite, they can be used as fuel to do many wonderful things in erecting buildings or constructing tunnels. However, if used carelessly, and thrown about haphazardly, they can do a great deal of destruction.

Some people have the misconceived notion that the difficulty lies in being too sensitive or paying too much attention to their emotions. Quite the contrary! Our emotions are usually filled with good intuition and perceptions that can be harnessed to improve our lives. Often enough, our circumstances are such that emotional reactions serve as a canary in a caustic mine shaft, telling us that something, or someone isn't good for us. It's much healthier to be open to, and reflective about, our emotions and use them as a source of insight and inner guidance.

Just like enjoying the ebb and flow of the ocean tides.