Tag Archives: action

I Second That Emotion!

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emotive chartHave you ever thought about how much we are influenced by our emotions? Now, we (particularly men) would like to think that we live our lives in a logical or orderly way based on good sound reasoning, but often that is not the case. Most of the time, we live our lives, governed and controlled by our emotions. For instance, let’s think about how we buy automobiles. Most of the time, the dominant factor in the automotive buying decision is an emotional one. Now, we would like to think it is the price or some other practical aspect, but most of the time it is not! It’s not the price because even when the asking price might be a bit more than we would like, our emotions overrule our logic to justify the purchase. And what emotion is that?  In the final analysis, we purchase the automobile because of how it makes us “feel,” whether that feeling be a sense of pride in ownership, experiencing the thrill of a new car, or the feeling of having arrive at the status level the automobile symbolizes. That is why some people buy certain automotive brands. When the small-talk at the dinner party is about what automobile people drive, there is a different emotion projected and felt when people say they drive a Mercedes or a BMW as opposed to them saying they drive a Hyundai or a Mazda. I’ve heard it said that people will: “Buy what they cannot afford, with money they don’t have, to impress people they don’t even like!” Why would they do such a foolish thing? It is a vain attempt to satisfy the emotions fostered by pride and showmanship!

Why do most people who drink alcoholic beverages or take drugs do it? They indulge in such behavior because of the way these substances make them “feel.” They want to feel a buzz or a high or maybe they just want to forget about how their problems make them feel. But when or if they become addicted, they are caught in a vicious cycle within which the feeling is no longer a want, but rather a need!  It’s all about the emotive sensation! I even read a news story recently in which the suspect admitted to killing someone because of the excitement they wanted to feel in committing a murder! Can you image that? They killed somebody to satisfy an emotional feeling! Now, most murders are not committed because of the excitement, but emotions still play a major role! People get angry, jealous, resentful, feel disrespected, frighten or afraid. All of these emotions have played major roles in justifying murder or a killing in the minds of the ones who committed the act.

But it’s not only negative things that are driven by emotions, positive things are driven by emotions also! Why, after all these years, did you decide to go back to school and earn that degree?  Because you wanted feel the pride that comes from a sense of accomplishment! At least that’s the answer I got from a 68-year-old grandmother who sat next to me in a college class several years ago! Why are you so nice to help people you don’t even know when they need help? Because it’s just the right thing to do and you feel good, knowing that you are making a difference in someone else’s life!

We are  all motivated by our emotions much more than we realize or are willing to admit. The key is to be aware of the role emotions play in our lives and then work to make sure our emotions are serving us as opposed to us being slaves and serving our emotions.

How to Spell L-O-V-E

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love spellingThere are many ways to spell l-o-v-e, but I think there are three (3) that are most significant. First of all, l-o-v-e is spelled a-c-t-i-o-n. When you ask most people to define love, most likely they will define it in terms of descriptive feelings. But did you know that in the Bible the word “love” is not found in the adjective form, but rather only as a noun and a verb? In other words, love in the Bible is not something that is felt, it is something that is and something that is done! John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (KJV) The use of the term “love” in the verse is not a description of how God felt about the world, but rather about what God did! The Bible also says in 1 John 4: 8, 16: “God is love.” Again, the term “love” in both verses, is not descriptive, it is not used as an adjective to describe God, but rather as a noun to tell what God is! How do you spell love? In the Bible, love is not something that is felt, but rather it is something that is done and something that just is! In the Bible l-o-v-e is spelled: a-c-t-i-o-n.
The second most significant way to spell l-o-v-e is t-i-m-e! Time is one of the most valuable assets we have in life. There are many today who think money is their most important asset, but time is even more valuable than money! The value of something is determine by its uniqueness and limitations. Time is more valuable than money because, all things being equal, you can always get some more money, but once you spend time, it can never be replaced or recovered! That is why it is a tragedy to waste time and it should be a crime to kill time! Since time is so valuable, we can use it to express and spell love. Why? Because people tend to spend time on and with what and who they really love! If a person is spending “money on you” but “not spending time with you,” their love for you might be suspect!
The third most significant way to spell l-o-v-e is a-t-t-e-n-t-i-o-n. This is closely related to time, but not quite the same thing. Attention is not the same as time because it is possible to spend time with a person or thing while at the same time, not paying real attention to that person or thing! That was the rationale behind the old R & B hit that said: “Your body is here with me, but your mind is on the other side of town!” There are other significant ways to spell l-o-v-e, but in my opinion, these three; action, time, and attention, are the most significant. Now tell me; how do you spell l-o-v-e?