A part of me

The importance of saying "a part of me" was impressed upon me after reading The Good Psychologist by Noam Schpancer (a great book, well worth reading). We tend to say "I feel angry" or "I feel anxious". Meaning that the whole of us is feeling this way. While it certainly might feel like this, the truth is, if you can observe yourself feeling a certain way, who is the part of you that is able to observe the anxiety, anger or whatever it is? Does that part feel the same way?

I think being precise in what we mean and using language that reflects that is very powerful. When we say "a part of me feels anxious", the anxiety doesn't feel so overwhelming or insurmountable. Saying "a part of me" instead of "the whole of me" (as in I feel ...) gives us much needed hope that we are not consumed by difficult emotions and experiences. The part of us that is able to witness and observe is the part that can help us to heal by showing us that we have a way out of hurt and trauma.

The next time you tap, try saying "a part of me" and see what happens!

Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it ~

René Descartes