This is a cool thread you started. I admire your strenght JinnKai. Being cool headed is a very good trait to have.
My experience in this department has been mixed and I've learned allot about myself.
Repression leads me to anxiety. I have seen time and time again that there is no such thing as ignoring my emotions. I either have to work though them or express them. Otherwise they come out in other forms, most commonly anxiety - and rare cases of believing I am Dick Clark.
I thought I had allot of control until I started leaving my comfort zones. That is, not just expossing myself to new environments and situations but challenging the states of my existing relationships. I was supperbly shocked at how uncomfortable I felt going into uncharted territories with people I've known for years. Now that my life is tumultuous, I relly on three things to keep me balanced...
One is having a strong inner reality - all experience is subjective, and all meaning depends on perspective. The stronger my frame of mind the less others are able to influence me with their negative emtotions. It also helps to think big. World's King is my rolemodel.
Second is the power of reframing - if I am ever caught off guard (which is often) I'll try to put the situation in a possitive context.
Finally, I am learning to live with emotion, I just wish them to be possitive. I find treading safely and putting a shell around myself kept me from experiencing the good as well as the bad.
Or, you can take the shortcut with pot and booze!
