Guard Your Heart; Vent, Vomit and Vocalize
By Carol Watson RN, ND, Health/Body Confidence Coach
Do you ever blurt something out and wish you hadn’t said it? Or do you “lash out” because you feel threatened in some way? Or do you allow someone to “push your buttons?” I get you! Me too!!
Did you know that your emotions travel 80,000 times faster than your thoughts travel? Isn't that amazing? This one piece of incredible information helps us to understand why when something bad happens, our raw emotions affect us so much that we are not able to immediately remember what to do or who to call. Conversely, it is also true when something wonderful happens and we are wrapped up in the thrill of emotional exhilaration, at that moment also, we do not have the cognitive capacity to decide exactly what to do next. All reasonable and practical thinking arrives in our brains long after the emotion has expressed itself.
The tremendous speed of our emotional responses to life helps to explain why, even Christians, often tend to operate out of feelings rather than out of principle. Something or Someone needs to harness your emotions that travel at warp speed and force them to submit to the fruit that is only found in the Holy Spirit. Right? If you continue to allow your emotions to rapidly toss you around through life, you will always say things that are embarrassing, act in ways that are unbecoming, and never be the person that God intended for you to be. You will end up having the effect of a bulldozer or a volcanic eruption that decimates everyone in its violent, angry path. And I know you don’t want to be “that” person! 😏
There is little in life that is of more importance than securing control of your heart issues.
When the word "heart" is used, particularly in the Old Testament, it refers to one's soul or the birthplace of the senses, emotions and affections. Your heart determines how you will act in any situation and is the seat of your will and purpose in life. The Bible says to "guard" or to "watch over" that part of your life with utmost attention for “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).
Your heart is of great value to God, and it should be treated as a treasure of great worth.
The problem is with the heart itself: your heart does not want to be guarded. It desires to loudly express itself and all its opinions. Your heart is passionate about venting, vomiting and vocalizing every little feeling it has ever experienced. The Bible never says that we are allowed to express everything that is in our heart - it simply says to guard it.
So, here are four questions that I have learned to ask myself before speaking so you can be more MINDful in your interactions (“guard your heart”) to prevent you from “venting, vomiting, and vocalizing (aka, screaming):
Is it true? And if it’s not, why am I saying it? What am I really trying to communicate by stretching the truth?
Is it kind? Does what I’m about to say express compassion?
Is it necessary? Is it necessary right now? Are these exact words right for the message I want to communicate?
Is it helpful? Will anyone, other than me, benefit from these words?
Proverbs 4: 23 & 24
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
In a day where emotions are raging and so many of us are feeling threatened from so many directions, let’s do our best to walk (and speak) according to the fruits of the Spirit. Will you join me in guarding your heart (and words)?
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”. – Galatians 5:22-23
Your MINDful Body Confidence Coach,
Dr. Carol💜🦋
Set up your Complimentary Discovery Coaching session with me to explore how I can help you eat and live more MINDfully! Click below and answer a brief form so you can access my calendar and get that set up NOW… and if you decide to partner with me as your Coach, you will save $600 for the month of September because it’s my birthday month! 🥰