I really enjoyed pulling this together. A few years ago, Universe kidnapped me from my left-brain ways and threw me into the world of emotions, and an entire new world opened up for me.

I got to experience the material I was learning in real-time (cuz Universe loves practical experience, haha).

I became fascinated with how much information our body holds and how it attempts to communicate with us.

Whether you have heard this all before or not, I invite you to have an open mind…who knows…perhaps something I share will land for you differently and will inspire you to get curious and dive a little deeper into your own experiences.

 We have an incredible built-in system that tells us when we’re on track—or veering off course—but most of us ignore it. 

I know I did…for the first 48+years of my life. I was bullet proof, you need a job done, call me…and I would push it out, no matter what...long hours, not a problem...exceed expectations at all costs. I could do it, so I did…but I never questioned whether I ‘should’ do it.

Any moments of frustration, impatience, or doubt…nope, push it down. I kept spinning my wheels hoping eventually I would get somewhere. I never realized that those so-called ‘negative’ emotions’ might actually hold the key to unlocking the next big breakthrough.

Why does this matter? I believe that the traditional approach to success—hustling harder and pushing through—comes at a cost. Stress leads to breakdown.

As business owners we know the cost of breakdown - we see it reflected in our health, with our teams, in our relationships and our results. 

Tuning into our emotions and redefining what it means to succeed becomes our empowered edge. 

We preserve our ability to lead while unlocking a deeper, more empowered version of ourselves. And the results, to name a few…are sharpened decision-making, amplified productivity, and leading with more energy, creativity, and dare I say… joy. 

 As entrepreneurs and business owners, we excel at solving external problems, analyzing data, and buckling down and pushing through when things get tough. 

Most of us are taught to suppress emotions to stay focused. But emotions are data—your inner GPS—highlighting what is needing your attention.

Negative emotions aren’t an obstacle–its feedback. They often arise as signals from our subconscious, alerting us to unmet needs, misaligned values, or areas requiring attention. 

Instead of being inherently bad, they offer valuable insights if we listen to them. 

Emotions have been given a bad rap.

Awareness transforms negative emotions from a barrier into a bridge. And by becoming aware of these emotions without judgement, we create an opportunity for self-reflection, deeper understanding, and growth.

But instead of listening, we attempt to override and push through…perhaps because of society’s view of emotions being a sign of weakness or a distraction. 

And it is this resistance to what is happening that causes the brain to perceive the unresolved tension as a threat and activates the fight-or-flight mode.

This activation hijacks the part of the brain responsible for critical and creative thinking, and problem solving…now we’ve lost access to our ability to make clear decisions, and effectively communicate and collaborate with others. 

So emotions are not the problem, our resistance to them is. 

Ok, play with me for a second…think of a recent moment that comes to mind where you rushed a decision you later regretted. See if you can tune into the sensation or feeling that came up right before you say yes to something you wish you’d declined?

[count to 5]

For some, it may feel like a sinking feeling in the gut…how does it show up for you? If nothing is showing up…that’s good information too, no pressure here.

Here’s the issue: when frustration or fear arises, we often ignore it, dismiss it, or react on autopilot. 

Reactivity is like running a business on outdated software—your brain is reacting to old (and for many of us, hidden) patterns instead of the present moment. These emotional ‘hijacks’ keep us stuck in reactive mode, our brain has gone ‘off-line’ limiting access to our creative problem solving, resourcefulness and our ability to choose and perform at our best.

 Think of emotions as messengers, like the flashing warning lights on a dashboard—signaling  “service required”. 

The more you become intentional about getting curious about your reactions, the more sensitive you become when you get ‘hit’. Here is what I mean by that. It’s an electrical ‘zzzzt’ static charge that courses through your body (you may barely notice it until it sparks something bigger).

The easiest ones to detect are when something ‘shitty’ happens…close your eyes, and imagine…your partner or friend rolls their eyes at something you said, or you’re running late for an important meeting and you get stopped by a train…the long one!

Next time, pay attention to that electrical ‘zzzzt…for me, in the beginning, it was barely noticeable because I was a master at pushing through, and minimizing…I hardly felt the sensation, and I soon came to realize that it was an incredibly tiny space between trigger+reaction…that tiny space is a millisecond moment of calm where we can pivot the direction…it’s the window where we have access to CHOICE.

Side note…if our nervous system is already activated we’ve lost access to that window because our body is now busy pumping adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones) into our system. 

Short-term bursts are great…it can be the rush of energy that we need to get sh¡t done but if we’re in a constant state of stress…it’s literally placing so much stress on and in our bodies!

 I remember being completely floored every time I missed the window…I was actively working on this and yet, I would get hijacked so many times!! 

And then finally, one day, the practice paid off and I noticed I was becoming more sensitive to the signals…honestly, I never realized how not ok I was until I started to look under the hood and began paying attention to the subtle physical and emotional signs…and followed the breadcrumbs of emotional clues…towards more clarity, better decisions, increased productivity, compassion and overall satisfaction.

The more you practice the more sensitive you will become to the hits too!

Taking a moment to tune into my emotions wasn’t about slowing down–it was about speeding up my ability to solve problems, prioritize and sift through the legitimate distractions, pivot faster, and make smarter decisions. Now that’s a checklist I can get behind!

Let’s try the following simple practice to help you tune in and turn down the dial of your body’s stress response. This small action will give you an empowered edge over any issue, or challenge. 

To help increase the reaction time, I created the P.A.C.T system → Permission to ACT Differently. 

I’m inviting you to check in before you check out, and try this out with me.

Using the P.A.C.T. technique:

• P→Pause and Tap on the side of your hand → break the cycle of reactivity
• A→Activate Self-Awareness → identify what is really going on
• C→Cultivate Curiosity and Compassion → see the situation clearly, without judgement
• T→Transform Reaction into Response→ respond with intention, not habit

Remember the advice, count to 10 before you respond? Well, this is kinda like that except that with the tapping we’re drawing on the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture…but without the needles. It is called Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) also known as Tapping. 

EFT is a stress reduction technique that involves tapping with our fingers on specific points on the face and body while keeping us in the present moment.

Now with P.A.C.T, we’re tapping on only one specific point, the side of the hand. It’s a quick and easy, no nonsense way to ‘interrupt’ the stress response and relay the message “false alarm” to the brain, while also helping promote proper energy flow in the body. 

EFT may look a little weird but it isn’t woo woo…it’s backed by science. Studies show EFT reduces cortisol promoting increased calm, and clearer thinking. 

In closing, you don’t need to push harder—instead listen smarter.

Imagine what becomes possible when you tune into your internal data and lead from a place of calm, clarity, courage, confidence and compassion. And consider how that could impact your work, your relationships, and your life…it could be the empowered edge that you’ve been looking for!

Thank you!