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“If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far. ~ Daniel Goleman
I quit teaching public school just as the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) movement in education was beginning. It made me sad but I was going to teach at the college level and I thought they would understand that emotions, not the intellect, rule the world. In fact sometimes people with high intellect, but jumbled emotions, have created very dangerous devices that could destroy the Earth. The arts are all about emotions. They are after all the oldest teaching tool. Unfortunately, STEM has infected all levels of education. Well, that and sports. Which means that the budgets for the arts keeps dwindling.
But here’s the thing that I felt very clearly not long ago, if every human was emotionally intelligent, we wouldn’t have to endure wars, threats to democracy, greed, disregard for human rights, and human life. Because as Travis Bradberry says, “Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships.” And as much as I think science is important, the sciences, for the most part, don’t teach us how to manage our emotions.
That’s why stories are so important. They are all about the emotional journey the characters go on in a prescribed plot arc that helps us understand the “moral” of the story. Stories can also help us understand ourselves and others better. And maybe even help us connect with our fellow human beings on a deeper level.
If you’re convinced that stories are frivolous and science is what will save the world, there is an organization that studies human emotions in a scientific way. It’s the HeartMath Institute . They have researched a thing called “coherence”, which is how I found them. Each Full and maybe even New Moon, they call for people to focus on a specific topic endangering humans or the planet, so that the combined efforts send out positive energy into the world. In a way it’s like a global prayer circle. But their research goes far beyond that and they have all kinds of resources offering techniques to reduce stress, heal from trauma, resources for parents to use with their children, and so much more.
Gregg Braden is a visionary scientist who as Deepak Chopra says, … “is a rare blend of scientist, visionary and scholar with the ability to speak to our minds while touching the wisdom of our hearts.” He has done work with the HeartMath Institute, though his research is more about vital things the Ancient civilizations knew that we have forgotten but need to learn again.
HeartMath and Gregg Braden give me hope for the future, because they get it. Stories are the oldest teaching tool because they help us learn by connecting our emotions to new information. But they also help us understand the emotions of others and ourselves. Most importantly, when we share stories with each other, we are more deeply connected. That’s why large gatherings like church, or concerts, or theatre, dance, and movie performances are so exhilarating. Our emotions (energy) mingles with that of others and we have an opportunity to get new perspectives about ourselves, others, and world.
Every movement has it’s season. STEM will eventually fade when more scientists like Gregg Braden, and the HeartMath Institute understand that underneath all suffering are many people with wounded emotions. This is why I’m passionate about talking stories with my podcast guests, friends, family and students. I’m driven to understand myself and others better and to clear up my emotional energy to help make the world a better place to live.
To that end, my husband has finished creating the cover art for my course, Saving the World One Story at a Time, on Ûdemy. I’ll be submitting it for review and soon it will be available. I have 10 or 15 “test students”, but if you’d like to take the course for free as a test student and leave a rating or review, let me know. I’ll be happy to send you the coupon code when I get it.
I know the world is a crazy place with so many things crying out for our attention. So thanks for your likes and occasional comments. I appreciate your time.
Blessings,
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2023
The Space Between Time
Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.
Have you ever experienced life shattering events? Yeah, after the last few years, most of us have. In The Space Between Time, Jenna Holden gets slammed by her fiancé walking out, her mother’s untimely death, and losing her job all in one week. But she receives unexpected help when she finds her three-times great-grandmother’s journals and begins the adventure of a lifetime.
The Space Between Time is available in all ebook formats at Smashwords and for Kindle at Amazon, or you can find the ebook at iBooks or Barnes and Noble. If you prefer a physical copy, you can find a print-on-demand version at Amazon. Stay tuned for news when the audiobook version is published.
Lucinda is also the host of Story-Power a podcast where she and her guests discuss their creative endeavors, and/or the stories that have changed their lives. It’s available here on Sage Woman Chronicles and on Apple, Google, and Spotify podcast apps. Please rate and leave a review. It helps people find me.
Patreon
I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast and Patreon communities so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. If you’re passionate about stories too, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower.
PodMatch
If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.
Sage Woman Chronicles 