Years ago I got a pair of glasses and I had them tinted as sunglasses. I chose this reddish brown tint. As I was driving down the road and the sun was setting, I saw this beautiful sunset. I remarked on it to my friend who was in the car and they looked over for a second and said yep. They didn’t see it.

I couldn’t believe that was all I got was a yep from such an incredible sight! I mean the colors were deep and rich and it looked like a picture. The colors were so vibrant. It was the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. I thought that deserves more than a yep. I pulled off my glasses and found that most of the colors disappeared. It was a nice sunset but without my glasses it was just ok. That is when I began to learn about my “rose colored glasses” and how I could learn to see the world. It was not that the world changed when I took off my glasses. It was not that my glasses kept me from seeing the world as it is. My “rose colored glasses” gave me a sight others did not share. They allowed me to see the beauty of this world.

In contrast, I remember the first time I felt shame about who I was and how I behaved. I was about 8 or 9 and we were watching home movies of a lake trip we had taken. I was playing with a couple logs and making a raft. I was very excited and animated. The excitement oozed out of me. It came out in my every movement. I hopped and gestured inviting others to come and be part of the fun I was having. As I watched myself in the movie I had a feeling of shame. I looked not at the fun I was looking to invite others to share in but instead I determined I looked a fool. I determined then and there that I was unlovable. I created a rift between me and the rest of the world.

These filters can create emotion depending on the filter you are looking through, they can create pain or maybe even agony. My particular filter did not show me who I was. Nor did it show me who I could be. This view or story you take is not you! The way you look at yourself is not the “Truth.” It is just a belief, a story you make up. There are infinite ways to view every person and everything that happens. Why do you choose the one you do?

Consider some of the following examples of emotional filtering:

What filter do you see your life through? How have your filters changed the story you tell yourself. How does your beliefs serve you? Does it create the feelings or life that you want? Does the way you view it bring happiness or sadness to your life? Does it help you to feel empowered?

Do your emotional responses get influenced by your memories of past events or traumatic circumstances? Are you ever tricked into believing that a past threat is here now. Have you had a memory that led you to feel upset  even though it was not happening at the time.

How do you change your filter? How would changing your breathing change how you feel? Could you use Meditation or mindfulness to change the filter.

Please subscribe to this podcast and leave a rating and review, to help others find this podcast. Also join the Facebook group. Here is the spot to click and set up a time so we can discuss how you can use these tools and others to get your amazing life!