What’s the real story when we feel jealousy flare? Could it be the fear that we are inadequate in comparison?

What’s driving our insecurity? Could it be shame, that insidious lie that we are unworthy of belonging and love?

What’s beneath our impatient temper? Could it be our forceful resistance when people or situations don’t ascribe to the way we think they should be?

Is our anxiety really just the fear that we have no control, and our terror of the unknown?

Our emotions are clues; signposts that guide us to go beyond the surface and deeper into the terrain of our inner worlds. When we follow this map, we discover in our minds the gnarled twists of old programming that we can acknowledge without believing and rewrite in new ways to empower us to pause, reflect, and respond judiciously rather than react instinctively when we’re hooked by old patterns.

If we can hold our anger, our sorrow, and our fear with the energy of mindfulness, we will be able to recognize the roots of our suffering.

Thich Nhat Hanh