Reviews
Choosing Emotions by D. Earl Johnston was one of those books that I picked with high expectations. Usually, with my experience, that doesn’t go well, but, fortunately, that didn’t happen in this case.
This book is an odyssey to human emotions and how we can all evolve as a person if we try to understand the definitions, depth, and meaning of all the emotions surrounding us every day.
I loved that with a simple need to help and research about depression, the author immersed himself in a fantastic world of 272 different emotions, all relevant in their own way, and managed to understand them with caution and a very critical way of research. The truth is that our emotions are all described in general terms or spoken about as simple scientific definitions, when they are in fact much more complex.
With this book, I understood not only what is behind every single emotion but also how some people perceive them in different ways, which is very useful in order to contradict some of these states when they are overpowering our peace of mind. I also believe some of these clarifications are useful to help others and stop enabling certain behaviors, such as on the topic of codependence, where instead of helping our loved ones bring out the best in them, we support their bad habits and thoughts, which is something that perhaps most of us don’t realize we are doing and would never associate it with codependence as well.
I think it is pretty obvious at this point that I loved this book and cannot point out a single downside. The book is long and complex at times, but the theme does justify a deeper explanation and the insertion of several quotes in order for the reader to truly comprehend some of the emotions described and how different people feel and react to them, whether they look at it on a positive note or with fear and anguish.
The book is free of errors, the editing is perfect, and I gladly rate it 5 out of 5 stars. As the author says, we can all guarantee a happier life if we find space to create harmony between our heads and our hearts, and this is precisely what I felt like I could take from this reading experience. We usually describe our head as our enemy, especially when we suffer from anxiety, traumas, or some form of depression; however, if we manage to connect our head to our heart and make peace with what we are feeling, I have no doubt we can create a better life and stop being overstimulated or overwhelmed with some of our emotions, which is why anyone who would love to emerge in this journey and understand their emotions will love this book.
Media Room
Most people experience far more emotions than they can actually name. Not because the feelings aren’t there … but because the language isn’t. When we don’t have the right words, everything can blur together. Stress, frustration, overwhelm, even sadness can feel like the same thing. But they’re not. And how we respond to each one depends on how clearly we understand it. Clarity often begins with something simple: finding the right word for what you’re feeling. 🙌 As Dr. Daniel Siegel said, “Name it to tame it.” Choosing Emotions is a book that helps expand that emotional vocabulary, offering clear definitions of hundreds of emotional states so you can move from vague feelings to real understanding. Because when language becomes more precise, so does the way you navigate your inner world. 📘 Available on Amazon. #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth
Wisdom rarely announces itself. It does not always arrive through defining moments or dramatic change. More often, it forms quietly through reflection. A single moment of awareness can turn experience into insight. And over time, insight becomes understanding. As Seneca reminds us, “No man was ever wise by chance.” Choosing Emotions is a book that explores emotional states like wisdom, awareness, and insight, offering a way to recognize what is often overlooked within everyday life. Because wisdom is not only shaped by what happens. It is shaped by how deeply it is understood. 📘 Available on Amazon #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #Wisdom #SelfAwareness
Your emotions are among the most personal experiences you have. 🧠 As Carl Jung, MD wrote, “Emotion is the chief source of consciousness.” It is through emotion that we become aware, not only of what is happening around us, but of what is happening within us. They shape how you think, how you respond, and how you move through the world. Yet for something so constant, they are often left undefined or misunderstood. When emotions remain unclear, they can feel overwhelming or unpredictable. When they are understood, they become something you can work with rather than push against. Choosing Emotions is a book designed as a comprehensive emotional reference, helping you identify and understand 272 emotional states with clarity and perspective. It is a resource you can return to when you want to better understand yourself and respond with intention. Make friends with your emotions. 📘 Available on Amazon. #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #EmotionalClarity
Insecurity is often interpreted as a reflection of identity. But more often, it reflects perception. 🧠 From there, behavior begins to adjust. You overthink. You hold back. You shift how you show up, not in response to what is actually happening, but in response to how you imagine you are being seen. That is what gives insecurity its influence. It feels accurate, even when it is constructed. Insecurity can apply at all levels of society and life. As John Maxwell noted: "Leaders who are kind of insecure or egocentric, they basically sabotage themselves." When it is identified clearly as insecurity, rather than truth, the dynamic begins to change. You are no longer reacting to something fixed. You are recognizing something interpretive. That distinction creates space. And in that space, different choices become available. Share this with someone who needs the reminder. #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #EmotionalClarity #SelfAwareness
Encouragement and praise are often used interchangeably. Emotionally, they operate very differently. 🧠 Praise tends to recognize a result. It celebrates what has already happened. These moments can feel rewarding, but they sometimes place quiet pressure on repeating the same outcome. Encouragement works from a different place. It focuses on effort, persistence, and forward movement. The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe captured this distinction well when he observed, “Correction does much, but encouragement does more.” In many ways, praise highlights the achievement, while encouragement strengthens the individual behind it. One celebrates success. The other builds resilience and confidence for what comes next. 🙌 Which one motivates you more: praise or encouragement? #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #Encouragement #SelfAwareness #Mindset
Luck, karma, and intuition are often spoken about as mysteries. Yet each one reflects something deeply human about how we interpret experience. 🧠 Luck is frequently described as chance, but many thinkers throughout history saw it differently. Seneca wrote that “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Karma reflects a different kind of awareness. The idea that actions ripple outward and eventually return. As the proverb reminds us, what we sow is often what we later encounter. Intuition points to another dimension entirely. A quieter form of knowing that doesn’t always arrive through analysis. Rumi described it as a voice that does not use words, while Albert Einstein called the intuitive mind a sacred gift. 🙌 These ideas remind us that life is not shaped by logic alone. Timing, awareness, belief, and perception all influence how we experience events. Choosing Emotions is a book designed as a comprehensive reference on emotional conditions. It explores how emotions shape perception, decision making, and the way we understand moments like luck, karma, and intuition. 📘 Available on Amazon. #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #Mindset
Most people can sense when something is not quite right. They feel it clearly, but cannot easily name it. 🧠 As Leonardo da Vinci observed, “All thoughts start with emotion.” Before something becomes a clear idea, it is first experienced as a feeling. When that feeling goes undefined, the thinking that follows can feel just as unclear. Without language, the experience stays broad and imprecise. It gets labeled as “off,” “stressed,” or “overwhelmed,” even when the underlying emotion carries far more specific information about what is actually happening. Emotions are not random. They are signals. Each one points to something different. A boundary, a belief, a loss, a desire, or a shift in expectation. When the emotion is identified with precision, confusion begins to settle and direction begins to appear. That is where clarity changes the outcome. Thought becomes more organized. Communication becomes more accurate. Response replaces reaction. 📖 Choosing Emotions: A book that helps you read what you feel. #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #EmotionalClarity #SelfAwareness
Many frameworks stop at a short list of core emotions. Human experience does not. 🧠 Most adults rely on a small set of emotional words in daily life. Yet it is nuance that shapes decisions, conversations, and outcomes. When the language is limited, understanding is limited. When the language expands, so does the ability to navigate complexity. As Neil Blumenthal said, “Details matter. They create depth, and depth creates authenticity.” The same is true for emotion. The more precisely you can identify what you are feeling, the more grounded and authentic your responses become. Emotional precision is not about overcomplicating how we feel. It is about seeing more clearly what is already there. With clearer identification comes better problem-solving, stronger communication, and more intentional responses. Choosing Emotions is a book created as a comprehensive “Emotionary,” mapping 272 emotional conditions through insights drawn from thousands of observations across history. It is designed to help you move beyond general labels and into accurate understanding. 📖 Available on Amazon. #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #EmotionalClarity #SelfUnderstanding
There is a question that can shift self-awareness almost immediately. What would your closest friend say is your most consistent emotion? That distinction is where insight begins. Internal experience and external expression are not always aligned. And when there is a gap between the two, it shapes relationships, communication, and perception in ways we often do not notice. 🙌 As Donna Roberts wrote, “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” That reflection is not about judgment. It is about recognition. Understanding how you are felt is just as important as understanding how you feel. When those two begin to align, clarity and consistency follow. Choosing Emotions 📘 A book that helps align how you feel with how you’re felt. #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #EmotionalClarity
BookTrib recently recognized Choosing Emotions as a “Hidden Gem.” Publisher Meryl Moss noted that sometimes the difference between feeling lost and finding clarity comes down to discovering the right word for what we feel. ❤️ Choosing Emotions is a book that explores 272 emotional states, supported by thousands of insights from thinkers across history. Many readers have begun calling it an “Emotionary,” a reference designed to help people understand the inner language of emotion. Because when you can name what you feel, you begin to understand it. And once you understand it, you can move through it with greater intention. 📘 Available now on Amazon. @booktrib #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #Psychology #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth
🍀 Do you consider yourself a lucky person? Why or why not? We often describe luck as something external. Timing. Chance. Circumstance. But the internal experience is rarely undefined. It may include belief. A sense of anticipation. The perception that outcomes may align in your favor. At times, something quieter such as openness or grace. As one gambler put it, “A lot of luck is just believing you’re lucky.” When these states are present, we tend to summarize them with one word. Luck. But what is being felt is more structured than that. More specific. More informative. This is where precision changes understanding. When an experience is named clearly, it shifts from something abstract to something that can be recognized, interpreted, and responded to. #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #EmotionalClarity #SelfAwareness
Charisma is often described as personality. In practice, it is something more specific. ✨ People often struggle to define charisma directly, so they describe it through the effect it creates. Terms like “star quality,” “magnetism,” “the X factor,” or even the modern phrase “rizz” are all attempts to capture the same phenomenon. They point to a person whose presence naturally transmits energy, confidence, and connection. Behavioral researcher Vanessa Van Edwards captured it well when she said, “Charisma is the perfect blend of warmth and confidence.” When those two qualities appear together, people tend to listen more closely, trust more easily, and feel drawn into the moment. Who is the most charismatic person you have ever seen? #ChoosingEmotions #EmotionalIntelligence #Charisma #SelfAwareness