In this conversation, Forrest Landry lays out a simple distinction that changes how you relate to your inner world:

* Thought is form and pattern (like rhythm or melody)

* Feeling is quality (like timbre, color, or tone)

* Emotion is intensity and energy-in-motion (like volume, force, or flow)

We use clear metaphors (music, lasers, rivers) and point to why this matters: if you can name what’s happening inside you, you can navigate it.

Key ideas you’ll hear

* Every experience includes all three: form, quality, intensity

* Why “emotion = messy” is a misunderstanding

* How these distinctions improve self-awareness and choice

Chapters

0:00 Intro0:53 Thought vs Feeling vs Emotion (music metaphor)4:51 Laser pointer metaphor8:35 River metaphor10:14 Sequence: thought → feeling → emotion13:54 Emotion and action19:18 “Don’t trust emotions?” response30:20 Closing

Get full access to Delicate Fire at delicatefire.substack.com/subscribe