Enslavement of the Emotional Kind .... 1/19/12

“You simply will not be the same person two months
 from now after consciously giving thanks each day for

 the abundance that exists in your life.   And you will
 have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the  more
you have and are grateful for, the more will be given
 you.” Sarah Ban Breathnach.  Image: "Ooh!" by Tim

Blessed, copyrighted photograph..

My Gratitudes:
1. Someone wanted me to be responsible for his feelings. No can do. I let him know.  I am responsive to, but not responsible for the feelings of others.
2. When we assume the responsibility for the feelings of others, we are trapped in a form of enslavement.
       We'll believe we need to walk around on egg shells, because we don't know what other possible negative feelings they may have, with whatever we say or do. We are accepting a fallacy.
       We are not creating problems, when we are being ourselves, expressing our views or differing with others.  There's no need for  placating people. If others are upset, we can empathize, but their feelings are their responsibility.  People will not always get what they want. They will have to work at getting their needs met.

       I'm thankful knowing that feeling responsible for the disappointment of others is a serious boundary crossing.
3. I'm thankful that no one can make any human happy, sad, or have any other feeling without that person giving them permission to do so.  Our feelings our our property. It reminds me of the saying:

"I block my well being every time I base my self-worth on what I do or what other people think of me.  Courage to Change, 118

4.  Life is good. I know a loving God, I have loving, caring friends and family. How could I not be happy? 
            Oh yeah, there's a word for the enslavement I talk about in gratitudes one and two:  codependency.