We are multi-dimensional beings. We live on many different levels at the same time.

We exist energetically, molecularly, biologically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Many times events can happen on one level that go unnoticed on other levels for a long time.

The classic example would be when someone hurts our feelings and instead of adequately dealing with the emotion, we bury it, which results years later in disease. We don’t deal with our emotions for a variety of reasons, including cultural training (children must behave), social training (deflecting true feelings to avoid being perceived negatively) or circumstances (lack of time or space to respond).

Regardless of why we avoid our feelings, the quality of our life is based on energy and how we transform the energy that confronts us.

I was raised the son of a veteran in the post WWII south. My father graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was considered a highly-trained killing machine. As with many veterans, he was not trained to handle all the emotions that arise from being a military officer and he did not deal with them well. The result was bursts of rage and fear that rained down upon those less powerful in his hierarchy, namely me.

How people deal with their suppressed emotions can have a traumatic effect on those who love them. For anyone that is the target of these angry outbursts, it can feel like a bomb being detonated and the damage that bomb creates can be devastating.

So how do we handle anger or fear?

I’m sure some would agree that many times it feels like energy welling up inside and we don’t know what to do with it. Many of my clients describe it as feeling like they are about to explode. We scream and shout, push and hit, often without knowing why. A random, unexplained event can become lethal.

We have to learn what to do with the energy of suppressed feelings and negative emotions. What we do with this energy can either be destructive and damaging or artistic and creative.

We are the creators of our world. What we do with the energy that moves through us determines what kind of world we live in. We have to be aware of the fact that we are not the energy that we feel going through our body—we are in control.

It is like a painter who thinks they are made of paint. We are not the paint. We are not the energy that we feel. We are the awareness, the creator that uses these materials to construct the world we live in.

The first step to creating a new world is to learn the consequences of our actions.

When we mow the grass or paint the house, we instantly see the results of our actions. When we have a bad day and snap at a neighbor, we may not see the results of that energy flow until years later. And we may not even remember doing it, leaving us wondering, “Why did that happen?”

Furthermore, our memories are usually subjective, we remember feelings and thoughts much better than we remember events. We remember feeling scared or happy, but not always what was said and in what order. The end result is often that we don’t learn from our actions.

The creative process requires that we intimately know the materials, the energy, we are using. A sketch artist must know what kind of mark his pencil will make depending on how much pressure he uses. We must know how our anger will mark a loved one, or even just another human being, depending on how much pressure we use.

When we don’t know how to use the materials we are working with, we end up not liking the end result. In order to get what we want, we have to be aware of what we are doing and how we are doing it.

It is naïve to think we can create what we want without being aware of how we affect others. We must pay attention to our words and actions. Are we critical, supportive and negative or are we supportive, uplifting and helpful? Are we patient and peaceful or does our energy make us bounce off the wall like a cartoon character?

How we use the energy in our body determines what kind of world we experience.

Because it is difficult to calm our bodies when we feel that explosive energy, it’s important that we learn to detach from our thoughts and emotions. I like to imagine that I am standing next to myself observing.

We can carry that further by imagining that we are a third person, watching the person who is watching us. The further we can detach from these feelings, the more control we have over the energy inside us. By gaining this control, we are better able to create what we want.

I have discovered that when I practice detaching from my thoughts, feelings or emotions, I am able to calm myself. There is no stress, anxiety or fear when I’m watching from a neutral place. When I enter that place, I’ve found that energy flows in the direction I need it to in order to get what I want.

Artists often describe the creative process as if the final product, whether it’s a painting, song or sculpture, created itself. That is the effect of taking control and transforming anger and fear into creative energy.

Author: James Robinson

Editor: Nicole Cameron

Image: Thoth God of Knowledge/Flickr