Orders of Magnitude
We don't have to let our feelings define us
"I am happy"... "I am angry"...
That's how we usually talk about our feelings. In other words, we let the feeling define our entire being in that moment.
What if there were other ways of relating to our experiences?
Consider these orders of magnitude:
I (am) happy. (Complete identification)
I (feel) happy. (Acknowledging it as a feeling)
I (have) a feeling of happiness. (Seeing it as something we possess temporarily)
I (am aware) of having a feeling of happiness. (Observing the feeling with awareness)
Happiness (is happening) all by itself in this mind. (Observing the feeling as an impersonal phenomenon arising in awareness)
Notice the shift? Each step moves us further from identification ("I am this feeling") towards mindful observation ("I am aware of this feeling," or even just "This feeling is happening").
This isn't just wordplay. Practicing this shift in perspective with any experience (pleasant or unpleasant), can:
Reduce our over-attachment to fleeting states.
Help us see feelings as temporary events, not fixed definitions of who we are.
Cultivate greater self-awareness and clarity.
Bring us closer to the calm, objective observation of an "empty mind".
Think about a feeling you're experiencing right now, or one you felt recently.
Which order of magnitude best describes how you relate to it?
What happens if you shift to a different order of magnitude?
Mindfully,
/rajesh