“I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” — Oscar Wilde
Want to feel great?
How to control your emotions?
Practice the 10 Emotions of Power according to Tony Robbins.
According to Tony Robbins, feeling great is a habit you can build.
That’s right. — You can choose the emotions you want to feel more of and practice them until you automatically feel them.
You can cultivate your 10 Emotions of Power to flourish and fulfill your highest potential.
After all, what good is building your emotional intelligence if you don’t use it to feel your best.
In Awaken the Giant Within: How To Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Financial Destiny, Tony Robbins shares the 10 Emotions of Power that help you feel power, passion, and strength.
By working on your emotional intelligence in this way, you can reach new levels of personal greatness.
How To Control Your Emotions
You can master your emotions through several key practices:
- Mindfulness and Awareness: Recognize and acknowledge your emotions without judgment. Understanding what you feel and why can help in managing reactions.
- Breathing Techniques: Deep, controlled breathing can calm the nervous system and reduce emotional intensity.
- Cognitive Restructuring: Challenge negative thoughts and replace them with more balanced, realistic ones. This changes emotional responses.
- Develop Emotional Intelligence: Learn to understand and manage your emotions and those of others.
- Seeking Perspective: Sometimes stepping back and viewing the situation from different angles can reduce emotional intensity.
You can improve your emotional regulation through regular practice over time.
That said, Tony Robbins recommends practicing 10 Emotions of Power which will greatly improve your ability to manage your emotions and to feel great more often and be able to change your emotions with skill.
Cultivate Your Emotional Garden of Greatness
“We must cultivate our garden.” — Voltaire
If you want to live with more purpose, passion, and power, then cultivate your emotional garden of greatness.
Plant the seeds of emotional strength you want more of, like love, curiosity, and confidence.
Pull the weeds of negative emotions you want less of, like disappointment, anger, and fear.
Tony Robbins writes:
“Keep cultivating the kinds of plants you want and pull the weeds as soon as you notice them.
Let me offer you ten emotional seeds you can plant in your garden.
If you nurture these seeds by focusing on feeling what you want to feel every day, you will hold yourself to a standard of greatness.
These seeds create a life that flourishes and fulfills its highest potential.”
10 Emotional Seeds to Practice for Better Emotions
Here are the 10 Emotions of Power according to Tony Robbins:
- Love and warmth
- Appreciation and gratitude
- Curiosity
- Excitement and passion
- Determination
- Flexibility
- Confidence
- Cheerfulness
- Vitality
- Contribution
1. Love and Warmth
It’s hard to stay cold when you’re practicing warmth. And your warmth rubs off on others. And you get more of what you give in a Karma kind of way.
Tony Robbins writes:
“The consistent expression of love seems to be able to melt almost any negative emotions it comes in contact with.
If someone is angry with you, you can easily remain loving with them by adopting a core belief such as this marvelous one from the book
A Course in Miracles: all communication is either a loving response or a cry for help.
If someone comes to you in a state of hurt or anger, and you consistently respond to them with love and warmth, eventually their state will change and their intensity will melt away.”
How To Practice Love and Warmth
To practice love and warmth, embrace empathy and understanding in your interactions.
Adopt the belief that negative reactions are often cries for help. Respond to anger or hurt with consistent love and warmth, aiming to alter the emotional state of others positively.
This approach can gradually dissolve tension and foster more harmonious relationships.
Remember, your consistent expression of love and kindness can have a profound impact on those around you, creating a more compassionate environment.
2. Appreciation and Gratitude
We often don’t know what we’ve got until it’s gone. Don’t let the chance to feel the full power of what you already have, slip through your fingers.
Tony Robbins writes:
“I believe that all of the most powerful emotions are some expression of love, each directed in different ways.
For me, appreciation and gratitude are two of the most spiritual emotions, actively expressing through thought and action my appreciation and love for all the gifts that life has given me, that people have given me, that experience has given me.
Living in this emotional state will enhance your life more than almost anything I know of.
Cultivating this is cultivating life.
Life with an attitude of gratitude.”
How To Practice Appreciation and Gratitude
To practice appreciation and gratitude, actively acknowledge and express thanks for the positive aspects and experiences in your life.
This involves shifting focus from what’s lacking to recognizing the value of what you have.
You can maintain a gratitude journal, express thanks to others frequently, and remind yourself regularly of the good in your life.
Embracing gratitude enhances emotional well-being and nurtures a positive outlook, enriching your life and relationships.
3. Curiosity
Cultivating your curiosity breathes new life into old things, and you can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Tony Robbins writes:
“If you really want to grow in life, learn to be as curious as a child.
Children know how to wonder – that’s why they’re so endearing.
If you want to cure boredom, be curious.
If you’re curious, nothing is a chore; it’s automatic – you want to study.
Cultivate curiously, and life becomes and unending study of joy.”
How To Practice Curiosity
To practice curiosity, approach life with a child-like sense of wonder.
Being curious transforms routine tasks into engaging activities and enriches experiences.
It involves asking questions, exploring new ideas, and being open to learning.
Cultivating curiosity can alleviate boredom and make every aspect of life a continuous and joyful learning journey.
Embrace inquisitiveness to see the world in new and exciting ways.
4. Excitement and Passion
Do you remember a time in your life when you sprang out of bed, or your days were full of zest?
You can choose to live with passion and purpose, and you can cultivate excitement in your daily routines and experiences.
Tony Robbins writes:
“Excitement and passion can add juice to anything.
Passion can turn any challenge into a tremendous opportunity.
Passion is unbridled power to move our lives forward at at a faster tempo than ever before.
To paraphrase Benjamin Disraeli, man is only truly great when he acts from the passions.
How do we ‘get’ passion?
The same way we ‘get’ love, warmth, appreciation, gratefulness, and curiosity – we decide to feel it!
Use your physiology: speak more rapidly, visualize images more rapidly, move your body in the direction you want to go.
Don’t just casually sit and think.
You can’t be filled with passion if you’re slumping over your desk, breathing shallowly, and slurring your speech.”
How To Practice Excitement and Passion
To cultivate excitement and passion, approach life with an energetic mindset.
Passion transforms challenges into opportunities and propels life forward. It’s about choosing to feel enthusiastic and purposeful.
Engage your physiology to embody this energy: speak with vigor, visualize dynamically, and move with intention.
This active, physical engagement reinforces a passionate state of mind.
Like love or curiosity, passion is a choice – a decision to infuse your days with energy and zest.
5. Determination
The power of determination will get you over the humps and hurdles of your day, and it will see you through your most amazing challenges.
Tony Robbins writes:
“All of the above emotions are invaluable, but there is one that you must have if you’re going to create lasting value in this world it will dictate how you deal with upsets and challenges, with disappointment and disillusionment.
Determination means the different between being stuck and being struck with the lightning power of commitment.
If you want to get yourself to lose weight, make those business calls, or follow through on anything, ‘pushing’ yourself won’t do it.
Putting yourself in a state of determination will.
All your actions will spring from that source, and you’ll just automatically do whatever it takes to accomplish your aim.
Acting with determination means making a congruent, committed decision where you’ve cut off any other possibility.”
How To Practice Determination
To practice determination, focus on developing a mindset of unwavering commitment and resolve.
It’s about making a firm, congruent decision and sticking to it, regardless of obstacles or challenges.
Determination involves channeling a deep sense of purpose and commitment to your goals, allowing this force to drive your actions.
Rather than merely ‘pushing’ yourself, embodying determination means you’ll naturally do what it takes to achieve your aims, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and progress.
6. Flexibility
Flexibility is freedom. Flexibility is the key to rolling with the punches, bouncing back from setbacks, and rising above your circumstances.
Tony Robbins writes:
“If there’s one seed to plant that will guarantee success, it’s the ability to change your approach.
In fact, all those Action Signals – those things you used to call negative emotions – are just messages to be more flexible!
Choosing to be flexible is choosing to be happy.
Throughout your life there will be times when there are things you will not be able to control, and your ability to be flexible in your rules, the meaning you attach to things, and your actions will determine your long-term success or failure, not to mention your level of personal joy.
The reed that bends will survive the windstorm, while the might oak tree will crack.
If you cultivate all of the above emotions, then you’ll surely develop confidence.”
How To Practice Flexibility
To practice flexibility, embrace the ability to adapt and change your approach. It involves being open to new ideas and perspectives, especially when faced with challenges or unexpected situations.
Flexibility is about being resilient and finding alternative ways to achieve goals, rather than being rigidly attached to one path.
By being flexible, you can navigate life’s uncertainties more effectively, leading to greater happiness and success.
The key is to understand that adaptability is a choice that can enhance both personal and professional life.
7. Confidence
What if you could feel unstoppable on a daily basis?
Imagine how great your day would be if your were teeming with confidence.
When your confidence flows your power shows.
It shows in how you walk and how you talk.
Your confidence will help you operate at a higher level and it will put new possibilities within your grasp.
Tony Robbins writes:
“Unshakable confidence is the sense of certainty we all want.
The only way you can consistently experience confidence, even in environments and situations you’ve never previously encountered, is through the power of faith.
Imagine and feel certain about the emotions you deserve to have now, rather than wait for them to spontaneously appear someday in the far distant future.
When you’re confident, you’re willing to experiment, to put yourself on the line.
One way to develop faith and confidence is simply to practice using it.
If I were to ask whether you’re confident that you can tie your own shoes, I’m sure you could tell me with confidence that you can.
Why?
Only because you’ve done it thousands of times!
So, practice confidence by using it consistently, and you’ll be amazed at the dividends it reaps in every area of your life.”
How To Practice Confidence
To practice confidence, cultivate a sense of certainty and faith in your abilities.
Confidence grows through consistent practice and belief in oneself. Start by imagining and feeling confident in the present, rather than waiting for it to develop over time.
Engaging in new experiences and challenges can bolster this self-assuredness.
Remember, just like any skill, confidence is honed through repetition and use.
Regularly putting yourself in situations that require confidence can significantly improve your self-assurance, impacting every aspect of your life positively.
8. Cheerfulness
Getting your grump on takes your power away, but cultivating your cheerfulness brings a sense of play to your day.
Tony Robbins writes:
“When I added cheerfulness to my list of most important values, people commented, ‘There’s something different about you.’
You seem so happy.
I realized that I had been happy, but I hadn’t told my face about it!
There’s a big difference between being happy on the inside, and being outwardly cheerful.
Cheerfulness enhances your self-esteem, makes life more fun, and makes the people around you feel happier as well.
Cheerfulness has the power to eliminate the feelings of fear, hurt, anger, frustration, disappointment, depression, guilt, and inadequacy from your life.
You’ve achieved cheerfulness the day you realize that no matter what’s happening around you, being anything other than cheerful will not make it better.”
How To Practice Cheerfulness
To practice cheerfulness, consciously choose to express happiness outwardly.
While inner happiness is essential, outward cheerfulness can positively affect your self-esteem and the mood of those around you.
It can also counteract negative emotions.
Being cheerful involves recognizing that maintaining a positive demeanor can improve both your own experience and that of others, regardless of external circumstances.
This practice can transform your interactions and overall outlook on life.
9. Vitality
What if you could feel strong all day long? A sense of vitality can lift you to new levels of personal power and radiance.
Tony Robbins writes:
“Contrary to popular belief, sitting still doesn’t preserve energy.
The truth is, that’s usually when you feel most tired.
The human nervous system needs to move to have energy.
As you move, oxygen flows through your system and that physical level of health creates the emotional sense of vitality that can help you to deal with virtually any negative challenge you could have in your life.
So realize that a sense of vitality is a critical emotion to cultivate in order to handle virtually any emotions that come up in your life, not to mention the critical resource in experience consistent passion.”
How To Practice Vitality
To practice vitality, engage in regular physical movement to energize your nervous system and enhance your overall sense of well-being.
Movement increases oxygen flow, boosting both physical and emotional health.
This sense of vitality is essential in facing life’s challenges and maintaining a consistent level of passion and engagement in your activities.
Remember, vitality is not just about preserving energy but actively cultivating it through physical activity and a dynamic lifestyle.
10. Contribution
When we have a sense of contribution, we amplify our feelings of empowerment, as well as our feelings of fulfillment. Connecting to the greater good brings with it a powerful sense of abundance.
Tony Robbins writes:
“Don’t all into the trap, though, of trying to contribute to others at your own expense – playing the martyr won’t give you a true sense of contribution.
But if you can consistently give to yourself and others on a measurable scale that allows you to know that your life has mattered, you’ll have a sense of connection with people and a sense of pride and self-esteem that no amount of money, accomplishments, fame, or acknowledgement could ever give.
A sense of contribution makes all of life worthwhile. Imagine what a better world it would be if all of us cultivate a sense of contribution!”
How To Practice Contribution
To practice contribution, focus on giving to both yourself and others in a balanced way that enhances self-esteem and connection.
Avoid the martyr trap; true contribution isn’t about self-sacrifice but about meaningful impact.
When you contribute in a way that feels significant, it brings a deep sense of fulfillment and pride, more than any external achievement could.
Cultivating this sense of contribution not only makes life more worthwhile for you but also contributes to a better world.
Cultivate Your 10 Powerful Emotions for Power, Passion, and Strength
Power is the ability to use strength quickly.
Your personal power is the ability to take action.
When you cultivate powerful emotions you grow your strength, flexibility, and resilience from the inside out.
When you combine feelings of gratitude with confidence and passion, you tap into your limitless reservoir of personal power.
Use the 10 Emotions of Power to build your emotional intelligence and practice your habit of feeling great.
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