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title: Emotional Freedom
created: 2025-05-10T06:27:40
modified: 2026-02-05T07:51:24
---

> “Enlightenment is making friendship with the whole existence.” — Amit Ray

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我們始終擁有「選擇權」— 選擇不受外在任何人事物影響情緒的權利。

只要我們夠愛自己、夠尊敬自己、夠重視自己的快樂和內心的平靜，情緒便能真正自由。

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# The Very First Step

> “Instead of shaming your emotions, try to understand what they are telling you.” — Lindsay C. Gibson

* Embrace the whole range of your emotions. To feel is to be alive.
* “I am grateful to be able to feel a spectrum of amazing emotions.”
* 哭很好，難過很棒，生氣也沒關係。

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# [Two Types of Emotional Freedom](https://chengweihu.com/emotional-freedom/)

| Internal Emotional Freedom | External Emotional Freedom |
| :---: | :---: |
| The “freedom from” being controlled by inner urges and drives | The “freedom to” express yourself and take action without external constraints. |

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[@nguyenDontBelieveEverything2024]

## 🔑 Key Insights & Takeaways

1. **[Thoughts are not facts.](the-past-is-more-unpredictable-than-the-future.md)**
	* Most of our emotional pain is caused by the thoughts we believe, not the reality itself.
	* Thoughts can be misleading, biased, and irrational—don’t accept them at face value.
2. **[You are not your thoughts.](the-past-is-more-unpredictable-than-the-future.md)**
	* You are the awareness _behind_ your thoughts. Realizing this creates distance between you and your mental noise.
	* Consciousness is your true identity, not the stream of thinking.
3. **Suffering comes from resistance.**
	* Negative emotions are not inherently bad; they become problematic when we resist or identify with them.
	* Acceptance and non-judgment lead to [inner peace](peace-from-mind.md).
4. **Happiness is our natural state.**
	* When we stop believing painful, limiting thoughts, what’s left is inner peace and contentment.
	* Nothing needs to be “added” to be happy—it’s uncovered by removing mental clutter.
5. **Let go of needing to control everything.**
	* The need to control your thoughts, emotions, or outcomes only deepens suffering.
	* Trusting life and surrendering to the present moment creates flow.
6. **Overthinking is a symptom of trying to solve imaginary problems.**
	* Most of our stress comes from mentally rehearsing situations that haven’t happened.
	* Focus on what’s real—what you’re experiencing _now_.
7. **Limiting beliefs keep you stuck.**
	* Thoughts like “I’m not good enough” are learned, not true.
	* Question these beliefs and realize you’re more than your conditioning.

## ✅ Actionable Tips & Advice

1. **Practice being the observer.**
	* Regularly notice your thoughts [without judgment](dispel-your-narratives.md). Say to yourself, “There’s a thought that…” to create separation.
2. **Use mindfulness [^1] to stay grounded.**
	* Anchor yourself in the [present moment](live-in-the-present.md) using your breath, body, or senses.
	* [Meditation](meditation.md) is a helpful tool, but simple awareness throughout the day works too.
3. **Ask: “Is this true?”**
	* When a painful thought arises, question its validity. Often, you’ll find it’s just a story, not a fact.
4. **Don’t resist emotions.**
	* [Allow emotions to pass through you like waves, without suppressing or clinging to them.](acceptance-and-commitment-therapy.md)
	* Labeling emotions (e.g., “This is anxiety”) helps reduce their intensity.
5. **Write your thoughts down.**
	* [Journaling](journaling.md) helps you see patterns and detach from negative thinking.
	* Use prompts like: _What am I thinking right now? Is it helpful or true?_
6. **Let go of the need to be right.**
	* Many thoughts are attempts to control or protect the ego. [Letting go of mental arguments](dispel-your-narratives.md) brings peace.
7. **Embrace stillness and silence.**
	* Spend time away from distractions to reconnect with your deeper self and hear your inner wisdom.
8. **Understand that healing is subtractive, not additive.**
	* [You don’t need more information](information-overwhelm.md), success, or approval. You need less attachment to thoughts and beliefs.

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[Nonchalant](Nonchalant.md)

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# The Riptide Mentality (The “Downward Spiral” [^2] Technique)

> At certain times in your life, there are going to be subtle, hidden, external forces conspiring against you—pulling you further away from your desired destination.
>
> In these moments, your instincts will tell you to fight back against those forces. You’ll breathe faster, push harder, and strain against them.
>
> But these instincts may lead you astray: You may be caught in a riptide—and in a riptide, the best course of action is the opposite of what your instincts tell you.
>
> In these moments, when you feel the currents are too strong to resist, allow yourself the freedom to relax and let it take you.
>
> Once it inevitably dissipates, you will have the energy and fortitude to safely navigate to your destination.
>
> **Perhaps the best course of action is to conserve energy now and deploy it more effectively later.**

> “What you resist, persists.” — Carl Jung

Resistance amplifies [negative emotions](negative-thoughts-and-emotions.md). [Acceptance](acceptance-and-commitment-therapy.md) diffuses them. It’s like quicksand: The more you fight, the deeper you sink. Observing the struggle [without judgment](dispel-your-narratives.md) creates mental space for solutions to emerge [naturally](wu-wei.md).

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> “Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.” — Alan Watts

* At its heart, the quote speaks to the idea of **[non-interference](wu-wei.md)** and **patience**. When water is muddy, stirring it further only makes it worse — more opaque and unsettled. But if you **let it be**, the sediment will naturally settle, and the water will clear on its own.
* Sometimes problems solve themselves if we give them space and time.

[^1]: aka present moment awareness
[^2]: ↔ [The Upward Spiral](https://sketchplanations.com/the-upward-spiral)