Your Feelings Are Your Feelings

Despite an initial burst of excitement for the future, and a healing combination of despatcho, cacao, and medicine wheel ceremonies performed to the backdrop of a crystal bowl and gong sound bath at Mausouleum, I’ve found myself in a bit of a funk for this first week of the year. Though still optimistic with a lot to look forward to, I’ve felt a little lost, and frustrated, and just generally out of sorts as obstacles seemed to continue to rise in my path, and life refused to flow smoothly.

Then yesterday, while I was at my day job and minding my own business, my Upperworld Spirit Teacher decided to make a cameo appearance. I may have mentioned before that my Spirit Teacher’s name is ‘Fred’... as in ‘Rogers’... as in ‘Mister’... So you may be able to hear the voice and tone of the following conversation...

Fred: Do you know who you are when you’re mad?
Me: Who?
Fred: God. ...And do you know who you are when you’re sad?
Me: Who?
Fred: God.

I’m pretty grateful that I was working by myself at the moment because I’m pretty sure I started giggling out loud at that point. That was probably the most “Mister Rogers-ish” thing he’d said since he became my guide over ten years ago. But he wasn’t through. He went the extra step to the most “Mister Rogers-iest” thing he could have possibly done. He started singing.

The melody and chorus, along with the general gist of the song, was clear, but it took me about an hour of working with him (remember - I was simultaneously at my full-time day job attempting to fulfill my duties there) to reconstruct the other lyrics of the song. Those lyrics are as follows, with a video after that of me singing Fred's song:

FEELINGS ARE YOUR FEELINGS

Are you feeling angry 

So you want to scream and shout?

Or are you feeling saddened 

And your lip is in a pout?

Your feelings are your feelings

They’re important that is true

But your feelings are your feelings

And they’re not you.

So no matter what your feeling 

Whether happy, sad, or odd

Whatever you are feeling 

You are God.

So there you go neighbor. Over a decade on the shamanic path and it's still never just the same old thing, with unexpected blessings always surprising me around every corner. Welcome to the neighborhood!