Do you think of people as 'making' you feel good or bad? Here's how that works.
You have a friend whose company you always enjoy. She listens to you when you need to discuss a problem, compliments you on your handling of difficult situations and basically sees you as worthwhile, talented and a wonderful person. You light up when you see her. Why? Because those good feelings she elicits in you are anchored to the sight of her face and the sound of her voice.
Conversely, you have a relative who is always negative. He belittles your efforts, sees you as a loser and you find yourself feeling that way whenever he's around. Your self-esteem takes a nosedive the minute you see his car pull into your driveway. His presence, or even just the mental image of him, has become an anchor for feelings of inadequacy.
Matt
And the trigger is set off when someone else
just looks or sounds like the original person who pushed your negative (or positive) buttons. We knee-jerk our way through life in a much bigger way than we realise. Understanding these triggers puts the power back in our hands to take action instead of constantly re-acting. .
I know the strap is a good aid, one that you have been gently encouraging me to use for a couple of years now! When I do...it helps somewhat.