7.[ If you sprinkled gasoline over smoldering leaves ...? ]
Imagine there is an extinguished bonfire. Leaves are burnt out and there seems to be no fire. But as you look closely, you notice smoke rising out of the leaves.
If you don't do anything now, as the leaves are only smoldering, soon they will stop smoking and will be extinguished naturally.
But if you sprinkled gasoline instead of water in a hurry over the smoking leaves.... the leaves will flame up again.
The way of managing your problems is the same as this. Suppose some problem which you are usually anxious about comes to your mind. And by this chance, negative emotions like anxiety or sorrow begin to spring up.
And if you begin remembering the disgusting happenings of the past related to the problem, or begin imagining the worst event in the future which may be caused by the problem, and begin to steep yourself in anxiety or sorrow......
It's exactly like sprinkling gasoline over smoldering leaves.
"Negative emotions" are like smoldering leaves. They will both disappear naturally if they are not fanned. If you realize the emotions are harmful and not necessary for the solution of the problems, they will vanish naturally.
But as you begin thinking of a problem which can't be solved immediately, with negative emotions like anxiety or sorrow from the usual idea that "problems" equal "negative emotions", you choose the way of worrying about this, that, and the other, and get gloomy satisfaction by steeping yourself in the anxious feelings.
But as I've been saying to you, no bright future comes from such anxious or worried feelings, nor is any disease cured.
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