Whenever the word should shows up in your thoughts or conversations it is a pretty good sign that prior programming is at work. Should is a very dangerous word. It leads to feelings of guilt and shame. Although your mother might disagree with me, there are very few real shoulds in this world. Most of the time you could substitute “I would prefer it if you would” or “I want you to”, or “it might be easier/better/safer if” instead of the word should.
Say this problem statement aloud, “I shouldn’t be feeling this way.” Rate the intensity on the 0-10 point scale and record your rating.
Setup (karate chop point): Even though I know I shouldn’t be feeling this way, I choose to love, accept, and forgive myself anyway. Even though I know I shouldn’t be feeling this way, I choose to love, accept, and forgive myself anyway. Even though I know I shouldn’t be feeling this way, I choose to love, accept, and forgive myself anyway.
| Eyebrow…I shouldn’t be feeling this way Side of Eye…I don’t even know why it is bothering me Under the Eye…I don’t think I should be feeling this way Under the Nose…Just admitting that I feel this way really bothers me Chin…I feel bad that I feel this way Collarbone…I’d like to pretend that I feel something different Under the Arm…Then no one would know that I feel this way Top of Head…No one would judge me for feeling this way Eyebrow…I shouldn’t be feeling this way Side of Eye…But my feelings are real Under the Eye…And my feelings are ok Under the Nose…I don’t need to be afraid of my feelings Chin…And I don’t need to judge my feelings Collarbone…My feelings happen naturally Under the Arm…No matter what my feelings are – I’m in control of how I express them Top of Head…I choose to acknowledge my feelings, whatever they are Eyebrow…Who told me I shouldn’t feel this way? Side of Eye…What do they know about this? Under the Eye…They are MY feelings Under the Nose…My feelings are an acceptable part of who I am Chin…I do feel this way Collarbone…I accept my feelings just as they are Under the Arm…I accept my feelings and I accept that they are MY feelings Top of Head…My feelings are good and I am good |
Take a deep breath and check the intensity of your original problem statement. “I shouldn’t be feeling this way.” Record your new intensity rating. This is an exercise that often sparks additional thoughts and feelings. It is quite likely that other early programming remarks made their way into your consciousness. Be sure to add them to your tapping journal for later work.
There are more tapping exercises like this one in Tap It Away: 10 Minutes to Freedom With EFT.
