Build Your Emotional Reservoirs

Here in California, we had a month of rain going from December to January due to these atmospheric rivers coming from the Pacific Ocean. So as a result, the entire state was drenched in water, with floods and potholes everywhere. Well, people had very muted complaints. Why? California had been in a drought for a few years now. So getting these types of rain is much needed to end the drought. 

Well, you would have thought the drought would be reversed after a whole month of rain. Then you look at the drought monitor. Half of the state is still in “severe drought?” Hmm... What? Shouldn’t the whole thing be white, or maybe green or blue, to indicate this has turned into a flood monitor? Why still the drought?

As it turned out, California has a limited number of reservoirs. With no reservoirs, there is no way to capture the rain. So most of the water simply flowed to the ocean while flooding many areas on its path. 

What a bummer!

This got me thinking; our positive emotions, such as confidence, are almost like rainfalls. Sometimes when we feel great due to victories and successes, which are the equivalent of atmospheric rivers, confidence and conviction will pour down. We feel amazing for a few days. Then it’s gone, like rainwater flowing away into the ocean.

Subsequently, there will be days when we face obstacles and failures, and our confidence wanes. But it’s the tough days we need confidence the most, not the winning days.

So, what if we can build emotional reservoirs to capture and store confidence when there is an excess of it? When we feel great, we either write down or record a video of how we feel, describing that exuberance in vivid terms. So when droughts hit, we can read these words or watch the videos to get re-convicted in our cause and ability? 

The next time I have a great day, I am going to record myself going crazy and feeling on top of the world. I will watch it over and over again during the dog days. Let’s see if I can get replenished. 

If you have tried this tactic before, let me know how it worked.