When I was a kid,my whole family was obsessedwith the 1911 race to the South Pole.
(Yes, my people are nerds.)
Here’s the basic story:Amundsen was a Norwegian guy.Scott was British. These two rivals were determinedto be the first man to set foot on the South Pole.
(You will not be surprised to learnthat recent research shows that indigenous New Zealanders probably madeit there 1000 years before Europeans.But back to Amundsen and Scott.)
SPOILER ALERT
Amundsen reached the South Pole first.Scott arrived over a month later;he and his team later died in the punishing Antarctic conditions.
Why did Amundsen succeed whileScott perished?
Scott had some bad luck, but healso made some ineffective choices.
Amundsen traveled on skisand took 52 sled dogs.
Scott took dogs too, but only 13–he also used ponies, tractors, andmotorized sledges.
The sledges broke down, theponies perished. He didn’t have enough dogs. He and his team made most of the journey on foot, because many of them didn’t knowhow to ski.
I’ve always been baffled by Scott’s choice to bring ponies. Even at age 8, it seemed obvious to me that a dog is way more equipped than a horse to survive in Antarctica. Like—dogs have FUR!
So while there are a lot of reasons whyAmundsen made it and Scott didn’t, to me the most significant is that:Scott used the wrong animals for the terrain.
I find myself thinking about thiswhen I am resisting my feelings.
One of my favorite ways to resistmy emotions is to INTELLECTUALIZE THEM.
I’ll feel an upsurge of sadness,and instead of just letting myself have an emotional EXPERIENCE,I’ll start thinking. Stuff like:“Where did this come from?Is this related to that other thing?Why am I like this?Why am I feeling this way?Who can I blame? How can I solve this?”
Then I remember:
Trying to “solve” emotions with THINKING is like taking ponies to Antarctica. It’s using the wrong animal, the wrong part of yourself, for the terrain.
Don’t get me wrong, I love myThinking Part! She is great formaking plans, strategizing, problem solving, learning, analyzing, writing an essay.
But my FEELING PART— the onewho cries, chortles, sparks with rage,throbs with resentment, startles—her literal job is to have experiences. Andexperiences are what makes a life!.
(Pic is my dog, who I have promised to never take to Antarctica.)
Are you like me? Do you tend to overuse your Thinking Part? I’m a Life Coach, and if you’re ready to stop overthinking and create a life that FEELS good, let’s talk! My DMs are open or you can book a call with me here.
Warmly,Emma