We so often take the feelings of happiness and saddness for granted. Why do we even have such feelings inside us at all? Well if you've ever asked yourself that question then perhaps you will find an answer here that resonates with you.

In order to help you understand the crucial role these very special emotions were meant to play in our lives I propose a short exercise.

A) Think of something that makes you happy. Notice where you feel the happiness.

B) Think of something that makes you sad. Notice where you feel the saddness.

Now if you followed my instructions closely you will have noticed that the emotions of happiness and saddness followed spontaneously the thoughts of what made you happy and what made you sad repectively. The fact that there are any emotions at all following the thoughts is rather curious isn't it. Why should there be any emotions at all. In other words, why doesn't one just feel neutral or indifferent to the thoughts?

Well, it's because the feelings of happiness and saddness have a definite and rather cruicial purpose in being there. What do you think that is? In other words, what does it mean when you feel happy or sad about something? Well it means that whatever is evoking the particular emotion is either good or not good for you respectively. It's that simple.

What is even more interesting is that you didn't have to create either of the emotions yourself, they just appeared there inside of you spontaneously or of their own accord. In other words there is an inner intelligence inside you that is monitoring and attempting to communicate to you that which is good for you and that which is not good for you at every momemt.

Some people might call this by other names: inner guide, helper, protector etc. I would like to suggest that instead this inner intelligence is coming directly from "YOU". In other words you already "know" inside what is right and what is not right for you. Additionally, and contrary to what you might "think" this intelligence comes via emotions not thoughts.

What do you think happens if you start to heed these inner emotional messages? Try it and see for your self.

Nick Arrizza M.D. is an Energy Psychiatrist, Life and Executive Coach, Healer, Speaker, Researcher, Author of "Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation" and developer of the powerful Mind Resonance Process(TM) ( available in e-book at: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/ebook.htm). He holds international telecoaching sessions and teleconferences on healing mind, body and spirit.