Page 41 - Mindfulness Meets Emotional Awareness Sample Book

If we were to approach a lioness with a litter of cubs, she
would respond to us with pure aggression. But we don’t view
this as unhealthy, bad or negative. In fact, quite the opposite.
We understand and we respect her actions.

She is responding with pure, healthy, protective, nurturing,
ferocious aggression and even if we mean her no harm we
know that it’s appropriate for her to feel aggression towards
us. She is entitled to feel that way; it is a natural response.

This raw emotional component of healthy, protective,
ferocious aggression is vital to our capacity to be fully
engaged in any form of protective care, including self-care.

To stand our ground, and to have a voice, we need healthy
aggression integrated into our emotional vocabulary in a
language that feels assertive, empowering and manageable.

Not only does this emotion inform us and give us information,
often in a very immediate way, it is also the core emotional
component that fuels assertiveness, motivation, pride and
passion. When we believe in something with a passion and we
strive for justice, it is this raw healthy emotional component of
aggression that fuels our desire to make a difference and fires
us into action.

This is an emotion that generates a high level of energy.

It powers us up when needed and at its best, when channeled
appropriately, healthy aggression is an emotion of both action
and empowerment.

41
Mindfulness Meets Emotional Awareness
©Jenny Florence/Burgess A-Z of Emotional Health Ltd 2016 All rights reserved.