I feel like there is a war within us– an internal battle between the different parts of us, tugging and pulling for control and dominance. On one side is the brain— a soldier of logic and reason, commanded to evaluate all it comes in contact with, and to calculate corresponding plans of actions. It is enemy to, well, the other parts of us that aren’t as systematic or analytical. These parts, though individually small in space but large in number, are ordered to sense, to experience. They do not think rationally, as the brain does, but rather, they simply dwell in the feeling of being.
It is no wonder that the brain and the other bits get into trouble because they operate in different ways. The brain, winning most battles, seeks to act and react as efficiently and beneficially as possible. This, however, is frequently at the expense of attacking and confining the other parts that want to express inner emotions. They are imprisoned, and bottled up but often times, not permanently. Unexpectedly but strongly, the feelings-based parts of us take control, unleashing, like cannonballs, the emotions we had been suppressing. Suddenly, we find ourselves abandoning our cool, calm, and collected, in exchange for emotion explosions: angrily going off on someone, stress-consuming whatever substance, and the like.
If you have ever experienced this struggle, you have found that in these moments, we ask ourselves how we can resolve these conflicts. Here is a suggestion: we have to make peace with the pieces of ourselves. We are equipped with many soldiers: the brain, the senses, and so forth, all equally strong, and most importantly, equally valuable. The sooner we adopt the idea that these parts, though different, are essentially all fighting for the same thing— our well-being— the more at peace we become. In fact, with a greater, more unified army within us, we feel more protected, more equipped to deal with everyday life.
Today, I encourage you to explore what your brain might have tried to bury or write off as unimportant. As you go about your daily routine, be aware of what you are experiencing, whether it is the sights on your commute to work, the conversations with your loved ones, or simply, the feeling of your chest, breathing in and out. Once we get into the habit of connecting with both our brain and our senses, our thoughts and our emotions, the more whole, and ultimately, the happier, we become.
–Arnrow