Emotional connection is the ability not just to recognize an emotion, but to actually feel it. And not just to feel it for a moment, or for as long as it's comfortable, but for as long as that specific emotion requires.

[spiros]

Emotional connection is the ability not just to recognize an emotion, but to actually feel it. And not just to feel it for a moment, or for as long as it’s comfortable, but for as long as that specific emotion requires. This practice is simple and direct. It can be learned and mastered in a short time by almost anyone. It’s the key to maximizing all talent and effort. It’s the key to making dreams come true. And yet, emotional connection remains the road least traveled. Why? Both nature and nurture, as previously alluded to, play large roles. But the complete answer goes further than that. To let our emotions run their own course, in their own time, necessitates a radical shift of consciousness. We must overcome a pervasive view that emotions lire best kept in check, that they are the enemies of rational thinking, and that to give them fuller reign would lead to anarchy, weakness, or the kind of touchy-feely navel gazing that makes even the most tolerant among us wince. Do you believe that too? Perhaps just a little? Most of us do, even if we don’t like to admit it, and even if we’ve learned to give lip service to “feeling our feelings” at Twelve Step programs, in counseling, or somewhere else along the way. In this book, I challenge the view that emotions are problems, that they’re things to be feared, controlled, or even managed by our “higher” faculties. I make the case, instead, that emotional connection is the path to our greatest possible wisdom and achievement, no matter what the field of endeavor. I do so, mostly, by appealing to your own common sense and experience. Raphael Cushnir, The One Thing Holding You Back: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Connection

[Frederique]

Raphael Cushnir is a leading voice in the world of emotional connection and present moment awareness. He has shared his unique approach to personal and professional development with millions of readers in O, The Oprah Magazine, Beliefnet, and Spirituality and Health. He is the author of three previous books -- (Unconditional Bliss: Finding Happiness in the Face of Hardship (Quest, 2000), Setting Your Heart on Fire (Broadway, 2003), and How Now: 100 Ways to Celebrate the Present Moment (Chronicle, 2005). He lectures worldwide and is a faculty member of the Esalen Institute, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. In addition, he coaches individuals and teams at Fortune 100 companies, governments, religious organizations, and leading non-profits. Raphael Cushnir's new book is The One Thing Holding You Back: Unleashing The Power of Emotional Connection (January, 2009, Harper Collins). Cushnir grew up in Northridge, a San Fernando Valley suburb. He entered college at the age of sixteen, attending the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, followed by Reed College and UCLA, where he graduated at the age of nineteen. After working his way through school as a teacher and a storyteller, Cushnir redirected his energies as an activist for the environment and human rights. He devised innovative media campaigns that included such celebrities as Madonna, Pearl Jam, Demi Moore, and Michael J. Fox. His passion for filmmaking led to a decade-long stint in Hollywood. He wrote, directed, and produced a Showtime movie, Sexual Healing, starring Helen Hunt, Anthony Edwards, and Jason Alexander. The film was nominated for two Cable Ace awards and won Grand Prize at the Houston Film Festival. Designed by Cushnir as a not-for-profit venture, it raised over $30,000 for the Minority AIDS Project.[...]