Notes from the JourneyDid you ever see the cartoon Deputy Dog? I will never forget a scene when he was faced with a decision. All of a sudden, an angel would pop up on one side of his head and a devil on the other. Both are trying to convince our hero to do one thing or another. He would then freeze and become stuck in the murky waters of indecision, doubt and confusion. Tell me if this sounds familiar. You are driving one day and realize that you have arrived at point B from point A and do not remember driving during this time. It seems like you entered a time warp, a black hole only to come out the other end. As you reflect back, you realize you were totally wrapped up in an intense and vivid debate with yourself. So, who did you have a conversation with during this time period, when there was clearly no in the car with you and you never uttered a word. The answer lies in the Deputy Dog story. While you were driving, two voices were competing for your attention. The angel is your inner voice; the voice of your consciousness, the voice of truth. The devil is your Troll; the voice of your fears and self-limiting beliefs. Why do so many people have such a difficult time distinguishing between these two voices? Why do we allow our Troll to dictate the course of our life? Where does our Troll come from, why are they here and what is the purpose? How do we get rid of our Troll? How can we learn to distinguish between the inner voice and the voice of our Troll? The Birth of our Trolls Throughout our life, numerous emotional wounds are embedded into our psyche. The wounds are created in the aftermath of negative, painful experiences in which needs went unfulfilled, feelings were invalidated, or emotional and/or physical pain was somehow inflicted. Once a wound is formed, the mind begins a dialogue, manifesting the negative energy as fear. This inner dialogue is the voice of our fears- our Trolls. The intensity of our fears and severity of our emotional wounds determine the power of our Trolls. Our wicked Trolls wear many different masks. The following is a list of some of the most common names. • Not feeling good enough, talented enough, smart enough, pretty enough, strong enough Fear creates an environment in which negative attitudes, bad habits, and hurtful behavior patterns form. As our fears intensify, our Trolls become stronger, stopping us from remaining present, listening to others and giving them the benefit of the doubt. Trolls keep us stuck in the P.A.S.T. – Procrastination, Avoidance, Stagnation, Trepidation – and prevents us from living life with a peaceful soul. Overtime, our Trolls begin to flood us with negative emotional energy. When we engage with the voice of our Trolls, we develop distorted perspectives based upon past pain and unrealistic expectations concerning future anxiety. This fear based dynamic inhibits us from evaluating situations based on present reality, the NOW moment. Therefore, we view the world through the foggy lens of fear and create the conditions for emotional triggers. When an everyday issue or situation does not match a distorted perspective or unrealistic expectation, a pool of negative energy is triggered and emotional energy is released in the form of reactivity. Reactivity is the release of emotional energy exhibited by inappropriate, destructive or toxic words, actions or behaviors. Reactivity is what blocks our ability to be Emotionally Intelligent and enjoying healthy, successful personal and professional relationships. In part 2, we will answer the questions: Why is the Troll here and what is its purpose. So, the question from the journey is: When and why did you give birth to your Trolls and can you define their names? Glenn Cohen is an internationally acclaimed certified coach, speaker and author. He specializes in life, couples, divorce and business coaching. Glenn also conducts workshops, speeches and seminars for companies, civic, religious organizations and other associations on how to Create Emotionally Intelligent Relationships at home, at work, and within the self. He is the author of The Journey from “I-TO-WE” book and companion workbook. You may contact him at 843-852-9828 or his website: http://www.i-to-we-coaching.com “I-TO-WE” Coaching / www.i-to-we.coaching.com
Contact Information Glenn Cohen "I-TO-WE" Coaching Office: (843) 852-9828
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