How to Use the Emotional Guidance Scale to Shift from Negative to Positive Emotions

When Life Smacks You Down Hard

I lost a substantial £15,000 ($20,000) in a collapsed venture after two years of hoping for returns.

The result?

Panic. Despair. Depression.

I had made three fatal mistakes. (At least.)

First, I was banking on a certain outcome. Life, as we know, is anything but certain.

Second, I had put all my eggs in one basket. Doh! There’s a reason that saying exists.

Third, I had given my power away — to numbers on a screen.

I’d given money power over my emotional well-being.

And I spiralled downwards, wallowing in low-energy states far longer than necessary, clinging to what had gone wrong instead of the blessings still standing tall in my life:

• A loving wife.
• A roof over my head.
• Food on the table.
• A beautiful area to live in.
• Good friends and family a call away.

And you know what? I still have all of this… and more.

The only thing that had changed was my bank balance — stirring up fears about the future.

“What next?” whispered the mind.

And when emotions like panic, despair, and depression take hold, they breed particular thoughts like:

• “F*ck, they lied.”
• “What am I going to do?”
• “I need the money back.”
• “How could this have happened?”

Some of those thoughts crept into victimhood territory—thoughts like “Why me?”, “Why now?”, and “I’m no good.”

My mind spun faster and faster, leading me further and further away from what I wanted: balance, harmony, peace.

Not the money.

Years later, I would come across the teachings of Dr. David Hawkins, Abraham Hicks, Bashar, Dr. Joe Dispenza, and others.

I would finally realise I had been operating at the lower end of the emotional spectrum — without even knowing it.

I had no clue about the emotional guidance scale.

One teaching hit me like lightning:

“Circumstances don’t matter, only state of being matters.” ~ Bashar

A Map Out of the Darkness

The Emotional Guidance Scale is more than a neat concept.

It’s a tool designed to help you recognise where you are emotionally, and consciously climb towards better-feeling states.

In simple terms:

By feeling great (high vibing!), you align yourself with more favourable outcomes.

You become a magnet for better experiences.

Emotions are energy coursing through your being.

E-motion: Energy in motion.

Developed by Esther and Jerry Hicks, the Emotional Guidance Scale comes from their teachings on the Law of Attraction, channelled through a collective consciousness known as Abraham (or Abraham Hicks).

While Abraham Hicks popularised the scale, the idea isn’t entirely new.

In his book Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior, Dr David Hawkins introduced The Map of Consciousness — outlining 17 levels of emotional states and their corresponding “life view.”

(We’ll dive deeper into these levels below.)

Both systems chart a journey from the heaviest emotions — shame, guilt, despair — to the lighter states of love, joy, and peace.

Emotional Guidance Scale & Map of Consciousness

Abraham Hicks’ version, detailed in Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires, lists 22 levels of emotion—with fear, grief, depression, despair, and powerlessness weighing down the bottom, and joy, appreciation, empowerment, freedom, and love shining at the top.

• The lower emotions vibrate at a heavier, denser frequency.
• The higher you climb, the lighter and more refined the energy becomes.

Why Your Emotions Are Your Inner Compass

Although Dr David Hawkin’s Map of Consciousness dives deeper — touching on aspects like “life view”, “God-view”, and energy calibration — this article zooms in on emotions.

Specifically, how you can use these scales to shift your emotional state and improve your life.

Your Emotions Are Trying to Tell You Something

When life feels like a never-ending uphill battle, it’s easy to believe something’s wrong with you.

But it’s not true.

Your emotions aren’t the enemy.

They’re guides — little signposts showing you where you are… and pointing you toward where you want to be.

When you know how to read them, everything changes.

Why the Emotional Scale Matters More Than You Think

The Emotional Guidance Scale is designed to help you realise emotional well-being.

It serves two key purposes:

1. To help you recognise where you are emotionally (without judgment).
2. To help you lift your emotional baseline.

Let’s unpack this.

Spotting Where You Are (Without Beating Yourself Up)

The first step is honest, non-judgmental awareness.

Emotions exist on a sliding scale.

Ask yourself: Where do I usually hang out emotionally?

You’re not fixed on one emotion forever. You’re in constant motion—day to day, even hour to hour.

But there’s a trend.

A baseline.

Where you land most often.

We’ll come back to baselines in a moment, because there’s an easier, more intuitive approach I will share.

Why Making It Simpler Changes Everything

You could study Abraham’s full 22-step scale and work your way up one emotion at a time.

Personally, I find it more powerful—and easier—to work with a simplified version:

Most of humanity sits at Level 0.

And it shows.

Drama. Chaos. Struggle. Conflict.

Level 0 is the level of resistance—fighting against life instead of flowing with it.

No wonder it feels like we’re efforting and struggling through every obstacle.

How do we move beyond that?

What No One Tells You About Feeling Better

True emotional growth isn’t about denying or repressing negativity.

It’s about shifting your baseline from predominantly negative emotions… to consistently living in better-feeling states.

Starting the Shift: Small Leaps Matter

If you’re stuck at Level 0—worry, stress, sadness, fear, frustration—your first goal isn’t to leap to joy.

It’s simply to reach the next level.

Here’s how you start:

• Focus on anything relaxing, soothing, easing, or relieving.
• Do something—anything—that makes you feel good.
• Practice gratitude and appreciation.
• Ask yourself a helpful, uplifting question.
• Volunteer. Serve. Give.

The teachings of Abraham (through Jerry and Esther Hicks) emphasise choosing better-feeling thoughts deliberately.

But let’s be real, when you’re drowning in anxiety or overwhelm, positive thinking feels a million miles away.

That’s okay.

You don’t have to overhaul your mind overnight.

You start by reaching for relief—and building from there.

The Art of ‘Baseline Boosting’

Baseline boosting is recognising where you predominantly operate emotionally—and deliberately shifting up.

One level at a time.

If you’re trapped in effort and struggle, your immediate goal is relief and ease.

You do this by focusing your attention, not by forcing massive changes.

And the beautiful part?

You don’t need extra time in your day to start.

Tiny Shifts Create Big Momentum

You come home, collapse onto the sofa… and notice how soothing it feels.

You step into a warm shower… and notice the water massaging your back.

You sip your morning tea or coffee… and notice the pleasure of the first sip.

You’re stuck in traffic… and instead of fuming, you notice the chance to pause and breathe.

Simple, yet profoundly effective.

It’s about catching those small moments, and milking them for all they’re worth.

Doing More of What Lifts You

Are you giving yourself permission to enjoy the simple pleasures?

If you’re busy (and who isn’t?), schedule it.

Block time in your diary.

Seriously—studies show you’re way more likely to follow through when you set a time, place, and even a backup plan:

“If X happens, then I’ll do Y instead.”

It’s not about cramming more into your day. It’s about making feeling good a non-negotiable priority.

Because when you take even 10 minutes to uplift yourself, you’re not just surviving — you’re gently turning the lights back on.

Let’s explore how to Fuel Your Spirit in 10 Minutes or Less.

Sprinkle Joy Into Your Day (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)

When you’re feeling low, the last thing you want to do is something “productive.”

That’s not the goal here. The point is simply this:

Shift your energy.

Create a tiny spark of joy, even if it’s just for a moment.

Here are some ideas — pick one that lights you up, even a little:

Little Escapes To Nourish Your Soul

• Sink into a candlelit bath.
• Meditate (even just 5–10 minutes).
• Chant a simple mantra.
• Listen to a favourite album — or discover one you’ve never heard before.
• Gaze at the stars on a clear night.
• Treat yourself to a cozy café date (yes, solo is perfect).
• Write a real letter or card to someone you love.
• Wander through a second-hand bookstore.
• Stroll a botanical garden.
• Plant some herbs or flowers — balcony, windowsill, garden, doesn’t matter.

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

• Paint, sketch, or even doodle like you did as a kid.
• Write a short poem (no one’s grading you).
• Start a DIY project you’ve been curious about.
• Make a candle, a piece of soap, or a mess — all good.
• Build a vision board of your dreams.
• Play an instrument (even if you’re terrible).

Seek Out Small Adventures

• Visit a new neighbourhood just to wander.
• Explore a local park, trail, or historical site.
• Browse a farmers’ market or art gallery.
• Take a spontaneous day trip to somewhere nearby.
• Watch the world go by at a lake, river, or beach.

Move Your Body (Gently or Wildly)

• Stretch it out with yoga.
• Dance around your living room (no choreography needed).
• Bike around your block or to a new coffee spot.
• Take a relaxing swim.
• Try a new recipe and make a beautiful mess in the kitchen.

Important: You don’t have to do any of these “perfectly”. It’s about energy, not achievement.

You can do these alone or with a friend. But don’t wait on anyone else to show up. Build a relationship with yourself, too.

Helpful Questions

• What can I do right now that would feel relieving, soothing, or empowering?
• How is this situation helping me grow?
• What’s the best thing that could happen next?
• What would Love (or Courage) do here?
• What am I grateful for right now, no matter how small?

Bonus Perk: Say Goodbye to Doom-Scrolling

Most of these activities naturally pull you off your phone — and far away from those sneaky “social media blackouts” where hours vanish and you end up feeling worse.

Trust me, your future self will thank you.

Make Feeling Good a Ritual

Don’t just hope you’ll find time.

Make it intentional:

1. Have something to look forward to.
2. Imagine it ahead of time — how will it feel during and after?
3. Set a feeling-based intention (e.g., carefree, joyful, grateful).
4. Book it in your calendar like an appointment with yourself.
   

If You’re Resistant, Try Asking Yourself…

Sometimes the resistance isn’t laziness — it’s old beliefs getting in the way. Ask:

• Do I believe I deserve to feel good?
• What’s stopping me from letting myself enjoy life?
• Do I feel guilty about having fun?

Sit with it. Write it out if you can. You might be surprised by what bubbles up.

Healing begins when you get curious about your own heart.

When Joy Feels Just Out of Reach

My mum, bless her, found it hard to experience joy when she was alive. There was a distinct lack of it in her life.

I share this not to paint her badly. She had tremendous qualities too. You can only operate from the level of understanding you have.

Some of my strongest memories as a kid were of her puffing furiously on cigarettes. My dad smoked too, as did most of their friends. Our large kitchen-diner was a constant haze of smoke.

It was the ‘70s—people weren’t aware of passive smoking.

Mum had a mantra she used to drill into my sister and me: “Work first, play later.”

Sadly, she did plenty of the former and very little of the latter.

Of course, as a child, I rebelled — wanting to play first and maybe work later. Not exactly a hit in the education system.

But here’s the tradgedy: Mum didn’t realise she could change the way she thought, felt, or experienced life.

Her focus was almost always on trying to change her environment, especially my dad, a wild, alcoholic party animal (a whole other story).

The harder she tried to control my dad, my sister, or me, the more stressed and exhausted she became.

Living in resistance will do that.

Trying to fix the outside world, without tending to the inside, is a losing battle.

It wore her down. It reflected back to her a life that felt hard, thankless, and joyless.

Phew.

That’s a heavy load for anyone to carry.

If she could’ve asked herself, “What’s really stopping you from feeling good?” or
“Do you feel guilty for enjoying yourself?”—maybe things could have started to shift. (Not saying it would’ve solved everything. Therapy might have helped too.)

But asking the right questions can move the needle.

Slowly, but surely, the light starts to seep back in.

A Simple Practice That Changes Everything

Later in my own life, I stumbled across something that helped me massively: Feeling grateful and appreciative of what I already had — and who I already was.

It’s a small shift with massive ripple effects. And it’s not about ticking boxes or doing it “perfectly.”

Gratitude and appreciation are daily practices that open your heart. They change the chemistry of how you experience life.

These days, it seems every other guru is raving about gratitude.

And honestly? They’re right.

It’s powerful—if you feel it.

Not scribbling the same tired list over and over. Not going through the motions.

You might not feel able to appreciate your circumstances. It might even feel fake to try.

But that’s because you’ve been practising other emotions—frustration, resentment, anger, sorrow, despair — for so long, they feel normal.

They’re not.

They’re familiar.

Gratitude cracks you open. It signals to the Universe that you’re ready to receive more of what you cherish.

“Gratitude is the Ultimate State of Receivership.“~ Dr. Joe Dispenza

And here’s the magic: You don’t just appreciate what you already have. You also start appreciating what’s on its way—as if it’s already here.

• The job.
• The relationship.
• The healing.
• The abundance.

You’re no longer waiting to feel good. You’re feeling good now.

Want to Make It Stick? Try This

Start a simple gratitude journal. Spend five minutes in the morning and evening jotting down things you’re thankful for.

It might feel mechanical at first. It might feel like you’re writing the same things every day. That’s completely okay.

Because it’s not about variety. It’s about consistency.

Be grateful for the little things:

• The smile of a stranger.
• Your cat curling up next to you.
• The glimmer of sunrise or sunset during your commute.

Even activities as mundane as washing dishes can become a portal to presence and appreciation, as I once discovered while travelling in Asia.

Life is good.

Even if it doesn’t always feel that way. Even if it feels hard some days.

You can still be grateful for your very existence.

• For waking up today.
• For the breath in your lungs.
• For the quiet, incredible miracle of life itself.

Play With It — Don’t Make It a Chore

Gratitude isn’t supposed to be another task you check off a list.

It’s a game.

A way to weave tiny threads of appreciation into your everyday life.

The more you notice, the more there is to notice.

And little by little, you begin to feel it:

Life meeting you halfway. Your heart feels lighter. Your spirit feels fuller.

Turn the Light Inward

If you want to deepen this even further, here’s a simple but powerful exercise.

Get out a journal, sit somewhere quiet, and let these prompts wash over you.

But here’s the key: Feel it as you contemplate each one. Don’t just tick it off mentally.

Let the gratitude land in your body. Let it soften you. Let it move you.

Here are a few places you might begin:

• Marvel at the beauty of nature—the bloom of a flower, the scent of rain, the way sunlight hits a window.
• Celebrate small wins—completing a task, learning something new, getting into bed after a tough day.
• Honour your inner growth, even if it’s just noticing your thoughts a little more clearly.
• Give thanks for your body—the breath that sustains you, the legs that carry you, the hands that hold your morning cup of tea.
• Treasure connections—a deep conversation, a shared laugh, a stranger’s kindness.
• Savour simple pleasures—the warmth of a bed, the taste of your favourite meal, running water at your fingertips (a luxury our ancestors never knew!).
• Appreciate the creativity all around you—art, music, books, street performers, graffiti, poetry.
• Be grateful for technology—Zoom calls, playlists, Google Maps, and a million small conveniences.
• Recognise your resilience—the way you’ve faced heartbreak, setbacks, or uncertainty and kept going.
• Recall acts of kindness given and received—those moments that restored your faith in humanity.
• Be thankful for the ability to hope and dream—to imagine a future that feels good to you.
• Finally, cherish this moment—the only one you’re ever truly guaranteed.

This list is a springboard—add your own, make it yours and play with it.

Let your heart lead the way.

The Magic of Thank You

I heard about a woman who decided to walk around all day simply saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you”—sometimes aloud, sometimes silently, depending on where she was.

She thanked the glass of water she drank.

She thanked the pavement beneath her feet.

She thanked the smile of a stranger, the ping of a text from her partner, even her laptop keyboard.

By pouring genuine thanks into everything around her, she shifted her energy in a profound way. Within a few short months, her whole life changed for the better.

Not by force or grinding effort, but by softening into appreciation.

It’s astonishing what happens when you start saying “thank you” to life…

because life starts saying “thank you” right back.

Thank You For Everything

There’s an old Zen story of a young student, eager for enlightenment, who approached his master and said, “I am going away for a year to travel, contemplate and seek the truth. Do you have any advice for me?”

The master smiled and replied, “Wherever you go, and whatever happens, repeat to yourself: ‘Thank you for everything. I have no complaints whatsoever.’”

The student set off, determined. Over the year, he faced trials, discomforts, fleeting joys — and faithfully repeated the mantra.

Yet when he returned, he was disheartened.

“I said the words every day,” he complained, “but nothing changed. I’m still not enlightened.”

The master simply looked at him and said, “Thank you for everything. I have no complaints whatsoever.”

In that instant, the student understood: Enlightenment isn’t found in striving and wanting life to be different. It’s found in embracing life exactly as it is—with an open heart and gratitude.

The real power of this practice is in remembering that every moment, no matter how messy or difficult, is shaping us.

It’s all unfolding perfectly — whether we see it yet or not.

Of course, it’s not always easy. I forget sometimes too. But the more I practice, the easier it gets to let things slide away — and realise how little truly matters.

It’s usually just the mind trying to convince us otherwise.

I love the quote from Abraham Hicks:

“There’s nothing serious going on around here.”

And really — there isn’t.

When Life Feels Heavy, Give a Little

Sometimes, the quickest way out of your own struggles is by giving to someone else.

If you’re not a natural people-person, that’s okay — volunteering at an animal rescue centre or sanctuary can be just as healing.

Or maybe your heart lights up helping replant woodlands or restore nature paths.

There’s something deeply wholesome about giving expecting nothing in return.

You already know what speaks to you.

What’s one small action you could take today to step into that feeling of service and gratitude?

The Hidden Energy Behind Your Actions

Every time you move forward, it’s worth asking yourself:

What’s the energy behind this action?

Is it coming from calm and ease? Or forced out of stress and fear?

Because the energy you act from will mirror itself in the results you get.

If you notice yourself striving, forcing, or stressing — pause.

It’s not about not taking action — it’s about shifting your state first.

Take a few long, deep breaths. Step outside for a few minutes. Give yourself a little space to reset.

Then ask: Is this leading me towards more relaxation and ease? Or back into the old familiar path of worry and strain?

What could I do right now that feels more soothing, relieving, relaxing or easing?

Permission to Be Human

If it helps — I’m still practicing too.

There’s no perfection here.

The more I practice, the quicker I catch myself, and the faster my entire approach softens.

But it’s not a straight line. Some days you bounce up and down the emotional scale.

What matters is — where do you stabilise?

Every time you catch yourself and gently shift, you’re changing your baseline. You’re planting seeds for something lighter, freer, and more easeful to grow.

When Good Intentions Backfire

Sometimes, we aim too high, too fast.

I love optimism — but in trying to leap straight to the juicy bits, we can end up stumbling instead.

It might work for a while… until something shakes you up, and you find yourself back in the old turmoil.

The key is building a foundation of relief and ease first — steady enough to hold you for weeks, even months.

That way, when life throws a wobble (like when I lost some money), you don’t crash into the pit again.

You bounce. You have a net.

It’s like being a trapeze artist — the daring leaps feel exhilarating when you know the net is there.

What They Don’t Tell You About Change

Change doesn’t happen in a neat, straight line.

It’s messy, like a rollercoaster.

Sometimes you fall back—you think you’re regressing, getting worse.

But the willingness to get up and go again — that’s what strengthens you. That’s what shifts your baseline higher and higher, until one day you realize you’re living in a completely different emotional world.

When You Slam Into an Invisible Wall

Ever feel like you hit a wall and just… can’t go further?

That’s usually a hidden belief surfacing — an old limit you didn’t even know you had.

We all have them. Take a closer look.

Ask yourself: What story am I still believing that’s holding me here?

The Trap of Bottling It Up

This isn’t about denying how you feel.

There are times when grief, sadness, anger—whatever it is—needs to be felt.

Losing a loved one, losing a job, facing injustice… these emotions are valid.

But when we obsess, ruminate, and replay the story endlessly in our minds, for months or years, that’s when it gets unhealthy.

That looping keeps the emotion alive — and keeps us stuck.

You evolve by acknowledging how you feel and choosing whether to stay there… or move.

Dealing With Heavy Emotions (Without Drowning in Them)

Everyone finds their own way. It might take some experimenting.

Personally, I disagree with the idea that you should “control” your emotions. They’re fluid. They move.

It’s not about controlling them — it’s about changing your relationship with them.

This might sound contradictory to what I’ve said above.

It’s not, let me explain.

What Worked for Me

Acceptance.

Allow the feeling to be there.

Don’t judge it. Don’t fight it.

Sadness? Feel it.

Loneliness? Sit with it.

Frustration? Let it pass through you.

In the beginning, this takes courage. It’s not always easy, but it’s freeing.

⚠️ Note: For those dealing with deep trauma, sometimes sitting with the emotion alone can be overwhelming. In that case, seek professional help—you don’t have to do it alone.

What Doesn’t Work (and Why We Fall for It Anyway)

Most people try to avoid uncomfortable feelings without even realising it.

It usually falls into one of three traps:

1. Repression/Suppression
   Pushing the feeling down, either consciously or unconsciously, because it feels unsafe to express it.
2. Blaming and Venting
   The opposite — spewing the emotion outwards, blaming others, hoping it’ll change them or give you relief. (Spoiler: It rarely does. It usually keeps you trapped in the same emotional cycle.)
3. Distraction
   Running away from the feeling — through food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling, workaholism, scrolling endlessly… you name it.

At the root of it all is the same thing:

Trying to avoid feeling what you are feeling.

But freedom isn’t found in running away.

It’s found in the staying — in the moment you realize the emotion isn’t bigger than you.

When Feelings Become the Enemy

Emotions are a natural part of being human.

Yet so many of us carry shame or guilt for how we feel.

It usually starts in childhood. Caregivers, teachers—even friends—shame us for expressing ourselves or tell us it’s “wrong” to feel certain ways.

We internalise that. We start believing our feelings are bad—and we hide them to fit in.

But here’s the paradox: Accepting your emotions without trying to change or reject them is exactly what allows them to pass through more quickly.

Can You Learn to Feel Good?

Absolutely.

When I started this path of change, I was a wreck.

It’s been a long, winding road. I faced challenges at every turn.

And although it felt like life was throwing these at me, the deeper truth is, they were rooted in my own perceptions.

Hardwired patterns—ingrained in my mind and my body.

When Your Body Becomes Addicted to Negative Emotions

Emotions like behaviours can become habitual.

Habits result from behaviours repeated so often they become automatic.

We rarely think of feelings as habits.

But neuroscience shows emotional states—like stress or frustration—can get locked into the body’s chemistry.

Take the classic example: You wake up dreading work, get stressed in traffic, frustrated by another day of back-to-back meetings.

Repeat this cycle long enough and it becomes your baseline.

When you try to shift—maybe reaching for gratitude—you bump into resistance.

You don’t feel grateful… you feel grumpy.

Why?

Because your body misses its usual chemical cocktail from the biochemistry of stress.

It expects the stress hormones—cortisol, adrenaline—and even craves it.

Genuine change means “rewiring and refiring” your brain-body connection until the new pattern takes root.

The Invisible Fight You’re In

This is the battlefield: The way you want to feel… versus the way you’re used to feeling.

And it can be brutal.

You try for weeks, only to feel pulled right back.

But think about it—you’re trying to undo what you’ve unconsciously rehearsed for 5, 10, even 20 years.

It is working, even if you can’t see it yet.

The seeds are sprouting under the surface.

A Light in the Dark: Louise Hay’s Story

One woman who deeply inspired me is Louise Hay, a pioneer in the self-help world.

Her early life was filled with pain—growing up in violence, raped at age five, later facing a cancer diagnosis.

But instead of giving up, she chose another path.

She didn’t embark on real inner change until her mid-40s.

And she didn’t publish her best selling book, You Can Heal Your Life, until she was 55.

Louise’s work showed how affirmations, self-love, and shifting beliefs can heal not just the mind, but the body itself.

Her story is living proof of what the Sufi poet Rumi so beautifully said:

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

Before we finish, I’ve pulled together some common questions—and a few extra tips to help you stay steady on your journey.

FAQs

What is the Emotional Guidance Scale?
It’s a simple way to map where you are emotionally—most of the time.
(You’ll find more about it here.)

What’s the point of using the Emotional Guidance Scale?
In short: to help you feel better. It’s about reaching for a slightly better feeling—then the next, and the next. (Learn more here.)

But aren’t we just repressing emotions? You can’t be positive all the time.
You’re absolutely right. This isn’t about ignoring negative emotions.
It’s about honouring them and knowing you don’t have to stay stuck there. (We dig deeper into that here.)

How do I get better at controlling my emotions?
See above—because it’s all connected.
(You’ll find practical guidance here.)

Can you actually learn to feel good?
Yes, you can. And it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.
(You’ll find how here.)

A Few Extra Reminders

This is self-discovery work.
Get curious about your emotions, your thoughts, and your daily moods.
Where are you putting your attention?
Because what you focus on grows.

It’s a process, not an overnight miracle.
Some people experience big shifts quickly.
Others need more time—and that’s okay.
The important part is to notice if you’re forcing things too hard (it creates stress).
Allow your journey to unfold naturally.

Everyone’s different.
You’re not behind.
You’re not broken.
You’re simply working with the life you’ve lived—and re-wiring old patterns can take time.
Small steps matter.

Persistence and patience win the day.
I know I’ve said it already—but it’s worth saying again.
Real change comes from showing up.
And picking yourself back up whenever you stumble.
It’s human. It’s normal.
Please don’t beat yourself up.

Check in with yourself. Often.

Set gentle reminders to pause and breathe.

I personally use the Plum Village app. 🧘‍♂️The Bell of Mindfulness tool is simple and lovely.

You can set a chime hourly, or whatever frequency you prefer during the day.

Play around. Find what feels good.

Joyful, bite-sized practices will always beat forcing yourself through a chore.

When You Think You Can’t Is When You Must

Maybe you’re sitting there thinking, “It sounds good… but what if it doesn’t work for me?”

Or, “What if I’m too stuck, too broken, too tired to climb out of this?”

I hear you.

I do.

That voice of doubt? It’s just fear dressing up in your old clothes, hoping you’ll stay exactly where you are.

It feels safe… but it’s a lie.

The truth?

You’re stronger than you’ve been led to believe.

You’ve survived every single hard day up to now—and that resilience didn’t happen by accident.

The Emotional Guidance Scale isn’t about pretending everything’s rosy.

It’s not about faking smiles or forcing yourself to leap from despair to joy in a heartbeat.

It’s about one brave choice at a time.

One better-feeling thought. One moment of willingness. One step closer to the life you actually deserve.

And every single time you choose that — even when you’re bone-weary and doubting — you are rewriting your future.

Not overnight. Not without wobbles. But with something much deeper: a quiet persistence.

The real keys to this? They aren’t glamorous. They’re gritty.

• Awareness.
• Persistence.
• Willingness.

Choosing to stand back up, even when your knees are trembling.

Choosing to reach for a lighter thought, even when the darkness clings.

Choosing to believe that a better feeling is possible — and worth fighting for.

Because it is.

You don’t have to climb the whole staircase today. You just take the next step. And tomorrow, the next. And the next.

Until one day—when you’re not even paying attention—you’ll realise you’re living from a place you once thought was out of reach.

That’s not wishful thinking. That’s the power already burning quietly in your chest.

Will you trust it? Will you trust yourself?

You’ve got everything you need.

Right here.

Right now.

And if that’s not courageous, I don’t know what is.