Bodily agitation, then, is an enemy to the spirit. And by agitation I do not necessarily mean exercise or movement. There is all the difference in the world between agitation and work. Work occupies the body and the mind and is necessary for the health of the spirit. Work can help us to pray and be recollected if we work properly. Agitation, however, destroys the spiritual usefulness of work and even tends to frustrate its physical and social purpose. Agitation is the useless and ill-directed action of the body. It expresses the inner confusion of a soul without peace. Work brings peace to the soul that has a semblance of order and spiritual understanding. It helps the soul to focus upon its spiritual aims and to achieve them. But the whole reason for agitation is to hide the soul from itself, to camouflage its interior conflicts and their purposelessness, and to induce a false feeling that 'we are getting somewhere'. Thomas Merton
About This Quote

I’m in the process of writing a series of articles about my book “The Emotion Code” in which I offer a new way to improve our lives. The first article is actually called “Emotion Code Part 1: Your Emotions Are Your Worst Enemy” and is about how our emotions are not just part of who we are, they are also our greatest ally. One of the most common questions I get asked about The Emotion Code is whether I’ve ever had an emotional breakdown or suffered from depression. My answer to that is that no, I have not, but I have had many moments where I have felt very discouraged, depressed, and really down on my luck. Interestingly, even though it was emotionally painful at the time, this experience has made me a stronger person because it has taught me something very important about life.

Source: No Man Is An Island

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