This is a group of lower emotional tones I single out for a reason: they are not only toxic but very difficult to shake off. You can move out of fear or anger very quickly; just “pull yourself together.” You’ve done it often; you know it works. Fear may come back but it comes and goes quickly. So does anger.

But these lower emotions are notoriously steady and unrelenting. That is why they are so corrosive.

Definition: corrosive, wearing down and steady destruction; the power to cause irreversible damage; eating away; steadily harmful.

I am talking about melancholy, shame, guilt (blame) and regret.

Guilt is probably the “stickiest”. Once it has taken root, it is like trying to get rid of horsetail in your garden. You can pull and pull on the stalks but the roots will keep sending up new shoots. Continue reading →