We Can All Blame Plato
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I was reading a book Kate Northrup recommended on her FREE Training last Friday, and I learned just how LONG it has been that our culture has believed emotions are bad. Any guesses? It goes back at least as far as 400 B.C.E. That's nearly 2500 YEARS!!!! No wonder we judge ourselves for feeling emotions that are uncomfortable! We can all blame Plato. (Sorry, Plato. I still think you made some great contributions, but you also missed a few things.) Plato is well known for his allegory where he imagined the soul as a charioteer, driving two horses: one wild and impulsive, the other noble and disciplined. The wild horse, driven by passions and desires, pulls us toward instant gratification. The takeaway has largely been that emotions are unruly, dangerous, and best kept in check. Somewhere along the way, this story became a rulebook for life—teaching us to numb, ignore, and judge our feelings as if they were enemies to conquer. We’ve inherited this belief from ancient philosophies that prized reason above all else, as well as cultural narratives that equated emotional expression with weakness. But here’s the irony… Our nervous systems bear the cost as they get stuck in cycles of stress and dysregulation. The truth is, emotions aren’t the problem—they’re the messengers. And my oh my, how we love to "shoot the messenger". When we learn to listen, rather than suppress, we begin to heal—not just ourselves, but the way we connect with the world around us. Last week, Kate challenged the long-held belief that our thoughts create our feelings. New research is showing that our feelings more often create our thoughts... And what creates our feelings???? The Nervous System. If you want to go to the root of basically everything, you go here. As soon as I shifted my own model for creation to begin with feelings first (at the base level of the Nervous System), oh my goodness, everything fell into place. Kate has been one of those pivotal mentors who came into my life right when I needed them. Right when my own nervous system was stuck in an intense season of fight/flight/freeze. I have so much gratitude for her. She is one of the most spunky, fun, brilliant, loving, and wise women I know. And what she has taught me has filtered into every area of my life. Yes, her program is about money (which is one of the #1 stressors for many), AND... The principles she teaches transcend money and touch every single area: Marriage, health, parenting, work, happiness, purpose, ... I know I keep talking about her course, but I can't help it. I want to share her with you!!! Her FREE TRAINING continues this week. And even though it has already started, it's not too late to jump in and get the replay from Day 1, and join for Day 2, and 3. By the end of her training, you will get an entire 6 hours of FREE content, but you have to catch it now before it goes away. Yes, she will pitch you her program at the end (which is 100% worth doing btw...), but if you don't want to pay to do her big program, you can still walk away with 6 hours of content that can be a big pivot moment in your life. Come join for Day 2 and 3 and I'll see you there! Let's Co-Create something great! You are loved! Delightfully, brooke |