Episode 33: Fixing the Most Important Relationship You Have

How we treat ourselves—our self-talk, our self-criticism, and the attributions we make about our emotional state—is one of the most significant determining factors that affects our emotional well-being and our functioning in life. Over the course of three seasons of Peace, Love, & Psychology podcasts, we have discussed how to understand and address issues such as emotions, cognitions, trauma, relationship patterns, communication, forgiveness, and more. This episode focuses on what is often the missing ingredient in breaking free of negative patterns and beginning to experience healing on a deeper, lasting level: unlocking the true potential of our imagination.

First, we review the role that emotions and cognition play in providing crucial feedback about our needs and desires in real time. We discuss how we can tap into the information our feelings provide about what might be missing or going wrong in our lives. We discuss how we can identify repetitive thoughts in order to better understand ourselves.

Next, we explore how unexpressed emotion and undisciplined thinking often work together to create and perpetuate unhealthy patterns in our lives. We discuss how this interaction leads to a narrowing of our viewpoint, creates a false sense of control and mastery, and leads us to shut the door on possible solutions. We examine why recovery from any number of problematic habits often starts with admitting that we may not have all the answers, By approaching our predicament with humility, we open ourselves up to fresh perspectives and input, paving the way toward freedom from old patterns.

Finally, we discuss the critical role that our imagination plays in breaking free from negative cycles. In our modern culture, imagination is often seen as a childish activity that is synonymous with escapism and distraction. We dig into the roots of imagination as a concept in order to unleash the enormous potential power for positive change it offers. We highlight some practical applications in order to harness the power of your imagination for positive change

By cultivating a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the potential contained in our imagination, we can leverage this gift to break through unhealthy patterns, bring balance to our emotions and cognitions, and finally fix our broken relationship with ourselves.