How to direct Our thoughts and feelings

True happiness and peace of mind.

Learning to use and control our feelings. - Fr. Narciso Irala, S.J.
Feeling is a force God gives you for willing and working with greater energy and constancy. But, like
steam in a locomotive, it is a chaotic force. If well channelled by reason, it will be exceedingly useful to
you.
Do Not Let feelings Govern You: - Make no change under the influence of feelings. To have as a norm
of action 'because I like to' is the same as to take a trolley without bothering about where it is going or
only because it is more comfortable or is shinier than another. Likewise, to stop working 'because it is a
bother' is to renounce success, joy, glory and even your own salvation. To want something only because
there is no other way out is the way a slave acts. To want something because it is no trouble (following
likes or impulses) is the way an animal acts. To want something in spite of the bother (guided by reason
or duty) is the way a rational human being acts. To want something even regardless of the difficulty of it
(with your eyes on the ideal or on God) is the way a hero or saint acts.
Governing our feelings. Restrain the exaggeration of feelings. - Do not give too much importance to
them, or to what pleases or displeases you, or to what you fear or desire. For experience tells us that
feeling heightens things, exaggerates good or evil, obscures and alters truth.
For example, do the words or behaviour of another irritate you? Then your feelings will make you tend to
think that he has a deliberate bad intention (whereas he probably acted without full reflection etc). They
will even persuade you that he has worse plans for the future. Do you feel a little unwell? Your
uncontrolled thought will tell you, 'it must be tuberculosis, or heart trouble, or the beginnings of insanity.'
In all these cases you have lost control of your feelings by letting them become exaggerated. Convince
yourself that the real situation is much better than your emotional reaction to it.
Control Your Thoughts. - Do not give free rein to their deceptive arguments. Avoid their exaggerations
and transfers to other fields. Think about something else and, above all, do not change your plans or
make important resolutions under the sway of feelings. Let a day go by. Let a night go by, too. "Consult
your pillow." Then, when your feelings are calmed, you will be disposed for work and you will see that
"the lion is not so fierce as he is painted.'

With his fine sense of psychology St. Ignatius traces out for us three very wise rules for governing
ourselves when a depressing feeling comes over us. Firstly, in time of desolation (that is when you are
discouraged or sad, without peace or when temptation blinds you), make no change, but continue with
the plans you made when you had peace, light and consolation. Secondly, think of the fact that this state
will pass and that light and joy will return. Encourage the thoughts and feelings you had before the
desolation came. Thirdly, act against the very desolation. Do the opposite of what you feel yourself
inclined to do. Lengthen your prayers, for example, or perform even more acts of mortification.

Here we are looking to correct and redirect thoughts and feelings that undermine our
correct sentiments that should enable us to be strong and courage soldiers of Christ in the
battle ground of life.

First the Causes:

Bodily and Mental.

Bodily : Nervous tension, trouble with breathing, - disorders that have an overflowing effect on
the body. - Cause: Bad habits, our natural temperament, things we have partly inherited,
nervous debility.

In the mind: - Discouraging thoughts, scruples, phobias, - Cause: Bad habits. Intellectual
disorder. Lack of direction.

In the will: inconstancy of soul (actions based on impulse, not on principles or deliberation).
Acting out of fear. - Uncontrolled/undisciplined will power. - Agere contra). Age quod agis -
Do what you should be doing but with one focus in mind. Like a man in the middle of a sports
game or contest - all his energy is focused on one thing and one thing only. So much so, that he
even try to such out the ability to even feel pain or discomfort until he has achieved his end. -
No fear, no anxiety or worry holds him back. He goes forward with confidence. In this mental
contemplation - meditation will be a great help to you. Daily meditation will be a great source
of inner strength if you know how to use it.

The will is a powerful tool if we know how to us it:

How to use it: "Make the act concrete: Picture clearly to yourself what you are going to do.
Concentrate your attention on this image. The more detailed and vivid an image you form, the
more force it will have. Lack of this requisite is a prime source of lack of will power in people
with emotional or nervous disturbance. It is hard for them to halt the flow of their (dishoarded)
ideas. Their productive power does not obey them thoroughly. They find it hard to concentrate
on what they are going to do.
To concentrate wll on what you plan to do, answer the following questions: "What is this all
about? When must it be done? How? Consider also other conditions necessary for execution.
Our most noble faculty is not put in motion when it does not know where it is going. Because
of this lack of precision many pretended plans do not pass from the state of desire. There is no
mental discharge in them. Here we have the main cause of inefficiency in what we though were
decisions. They were too vague, not concrete. ' - Fr. Narciso Irala, S.J. Achieving peace of
Heart.

2. Fell the possibility of deciding . Once the act is made concrete (I want to do this), examine
yourself to see whether the energy you posses is equal to the energy necessary for the act.

3. Have a motive. Our will is an energy ruled by intelligence and naturally inclined toward the
good. You should perceive values, goods, motives for an act. To obtain strength of will these
motives should be:1. Objective: Good in themselves, not merely because of other
considerations - i.e. I like it. It makes me feel good.
2. - Subjective : Perceived as good for you. - I.e I want to do this to fulfil my duty.
3. Accommodated to your individual ability.
Actuated or recorded: Either put into action at the very moment of decision, or stored up for
the moment decided upon for execution.
4. Make a sincere decision. This is the condition most frequently absent and causing most
failure of will It consists in really determining reality. Decision makes a real actuality of what
is merely possible. By decision you give the victory to a practical idea by excluding the
opposite or alternative as if impossible in themselves. .. The deep rooted cause of our weakness
and impotency is in the slackness of our willing. When something is really willed, then hitherto
unsuspected energies are released even by weak organisms. - Fr. Narciso Irala, S.J. Achieving
peace of Heart.

What about those who are extremely weak willed - especailly those who have made themselves
like that by the practice of vice?

Answer: Agere contra - but on a smaller scale.

Basic outlook each day: 1. What is up? 2. When and how is or that thing to be done? 3. Is it
possible for me? - If I order my feet to take me to such and such a position, will they obey? If
so, start at that. Simply answer the questions then make the connecting co-related action. Get
up out of bed. - If a difficulty arises. Simply affirm to yourself. - Yes, I can bravely do this !
Courage.
"Are there motives for willing this'? Yes, so as to correct and exercise my personality.
In that case shall I will it or not? - yes, because of this or that. And so on.

"To make the most effective use of the will, the queen of our faculties, we should accustom
ourselves to follow this procedure. On feeling an impulse to do this or that, we should
accustom ourselves to follow this procedure. On feeling an impulse to do this or that, we
should always leaven an interval between it and carrying out the impulse. This is allowing time
for deliberation It is the same as saying "look before you leap.' Before the act of will itself we
should ask ourselves, "Shall I actually will this ; for what motives? In the decision itself we
should answer, "I do really will it, or "it will be done' We make a firm and concrete act of the
will and buttress it by feeling its possibility, usefulness and even necessity. Then we should
finally clinch the matter by excluding even the thought of an opposite decision, insisting with
ourselves, "It's all settled. Now we go into action." - Fr. Narciso Irala, S.J. Achieving peace of
Heart.

For the mind and concentration: We need to focus on what we are about - learning to stay
focused on the thing at hand. - Modern gadgets are often a hindrance to this.

One thing at a time. : "We must live the present in a unity of thought and action. Mental unity
and concentration bring efficiency and joy. Whenever a man has many things to think about or
do at the same time, he becomes nervous, upset, worried, but not happy.

"When we follow the course of one idea to the exclusion of every other; when we are attentive
only to what we are studying or hearing and forget everything else, even ourselves, then the
intellectual return is at its maximum. Then natural pleasure is great, and there is only that
minimal fatigue which we call physical." - Fr. Narciso Irala, S.J. Achieving peace of Heart.

"Our concentration is poor when we follow out one idea with another idea or image constantly
interrupting it. This we call a distraction (scattered mind). Then the return and satisfaction are
less and fatigue greater." - Fr. Narciso Irala, S.J. Achieving peace of Heart.

Causes of Defective concentration:

1. Physical weakness.
2. Disorder in the nevous system (uptight muscular or nevous system).
3. Lack of any training of the mind.
4. Emotional disturbances; fears; anxieties that pull the mind in all directions. (most common
cause).

Some helps in this regard can be mental games and things that require concentration; Drawing,
painting, chess playing, learning an instrument, etc. Need to be focused.

Try consecrating on audible things, the ticking of a clock, without distraction. Try listening to a
sermon without distraction. Pay attention to ever word that is said to you in the course of a day,
trying to grasp each word. - Trying to shut out whatever else is going on around you.

Physical side: Take a chill pill. Take some time out. Go for a walk. Let the mind zone out from
that which is stressing it out. - Take some rest, but only in order to get back on track.
Phobias: - The only solution is to confront them. But how, with prudence and courage: A priest
put it like this: "I was afraid of cemeteries at night. So I went to one after dark. I kept my
attention continually on pious thoughts or conscious sensations. Thus I succeeded in not having
the feeling of fear master me even for a minute, although several times it fought hard for
entrance." ." - Fr. Narciso Irala, S.J. Achieving peace of Heart.

"In the same way I conquered impatience in dealing with a very disagreeable person. Each time
his irritating words and actions provoked me to anger, I turned my attention away from them. I
concentrated on observing his mental patterns, his gestures, tone of voice or colour of things
around us. It wa a king of mental amour which kept the explosive out."

Emotions - How to battle them and win:

The main thing to grasp is that our emotions while they are physiological - they are part
of our physical make up, they are often associated with ideas that we have of things that
produce these emotions in us:

The cause for various emotions is the "interpretation we give to an event in connection to our
happiness. If we consider it as an obstacle we tend to destroy it: - Anger. If it is danger, we try
to escape from it, we have fear. If it is a loss: = Sadness.

The thoughts which produce anger may be 'I, He, it' 'I, who am so good, I cannot tolerate such
a treatment'. 'He, or they are bad . . ' etc. These thoughts cause an alarm in our nervous system
and so an automatic reaction is produced as a means of protecting ourselves. If in this state, we
let loose our imagination this will command a full attention to its fears, hatred or sadness with
a possibility of fixations, obsessions, exaggerations and transfers, and with stronger feelings
and impulse.

If we control the idea in its 1. content. 2. intensity. 3. duration, and avoid exaggeration and
transference, we shall avoid those harmful effects.

How to master the emotions:

1. Change your external expression or reactions to the thing at hand, both in your demeanour
and your tone of voice. Be calm amidst the storm.

2. Avoid the thoughts which produce the emotions either avoiding the occasion, or thinking
on something interesting, or having conscious sensation or pleasant occupation. - Try to put the
negative thought associated with the thing aside.

3. Put the opposite thought discovering the good side of persons, happenings, and sorrows.

4. Put the opposite feeling and tendency in order to counteract the negative inclination to
insecurity, aversion or sadness. Do that through acts, thoughts and attitudes of courage,
heroism, sympathy, love, optimism, joy.

5. Set the test before the test comes. In short, imagine the situation in your mind that brings
you this bad reaction and then start to conquer it. Saying, no, I can conquer this, I can brave
this. It isn't so difficult. etc.

6. Form within your mind a system of ideas, sensations, actions and desires, a framework
which is a favourable background to the feeling you wish to retain. This feeling with annihilate
the contrary feeling. Its very presence will help you to avoid a clash or struggle and resultant
exaggeration in your emotions. Thus a timid person should think, speak and work with courage
and boldness, or as if he had these qualities.

6. by meditation on the higher goods of your whole being or on eternal goods, (eternal truths),
weaken the force of natural instinct. Weaken also the attraction of what satisfies one particular
organ of our being (touch, taste, smell, etc) or brings passing temporary satisfaction to mere
instinct.

7. Work as if you had the true or noble feeling you desire, or as if you did not feel the contrary
tendency or repugnance. Such acts will produce the noble feelings.

8. Create a system of warfare, by elimination exercises in this way habituate yourself to

practice of introducing this intruder voluntarily into your consciousness, and immediately
banishing it. To become skilled in this practice the following acts:
Take a blank peace of paper; place 3 or 4 objects on it and each object can be symbolic of your
fears/phobias or things that raise bad feelings in you. Then take one of them away, and then
close your eyes, and eliminate it from your mind, and do the same thing to each object. You
can do the same by writing down on a peace of paper the same thing and removing each, as a
means of symbolically removing it from your mind.

9. Accept reality (don't live in Disney land) which cannot be modified, found your ideal upon
it. Fill out your human ideals with sublime truths which are eternal and divine. In short your
human existence must also be deeply founded upon the supernatural realities as well.

Concentrate on the opposite: This will encourage joy and hope. Concentrate on the image or
feeling of calm and peace. Find either in your past, or in the present a feeling or memory of
moral and physical tranquillity, i.e., beautiful landscape,, melody, prayer etc. Concentrate as
much as you can on this sensation until you again relive it.

What to do when the cause of our trouble or worry remains unknown?

When the origin of trouble remains unknown or difficult to banish, the indirect method
of cure is called for. Do not voluntary allow satellite feelings or acts aroused by them to
remain in your consciousness. Sweep them out immediately and occupy your attention
with other acts, sensations or concentrations which are voluntarily and fully conscious.
Reinforce the unity of your mental solar system with new thoughts and conscious and
voluntary acts. It would be hard for ideas and feelings thus to become deformed. And
those already deformed will return to normal. For consciousness focuses our thoughts
and automatically makes them more clear and normal, And the fact that they are
voluntary does away with their chaotic and disturbing force.

What about scruples?

Solution:

1. Live in the present - Age quod agis. - Do what you should be doing.
2. Strengthen the will by repreated affirmations of clear decisions made. (Don't go back
and forward).
3. Obey your spiritual director, your parents, teachers, priests etc.
4. Don't be moved by anything but the facts, not false ideas of perhaps or what if, or
maybe this or that.