Emotions are powerful and shape how we experience the world, affect our relationships, and influence our overall health and well-being. In her thought-provoking book, EMBRACE: Navigating the Complexities of ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety with Love, Marnie Jurkowski shares the importance of living in what she calls “high-frequency emotions,” like love and gratitude.
For Marnie, these emotions became invaluable in supporting her son Andy, who faces the challenges of ADHD and autism, creating a more harmonious environment for him to thrive. In EMBRACE, she offers insight and guidance on how these high-frequency emotions can be harnessed to improve daily life.
Below, we explore how love and gratitude can raise our emotional “frequency,” leading to more fulfilling lives filled with connection, peace, and resilience.
Understanding Emotional Frequencies
Marnie describes emotions as having different “frequencies,” with some emotions lifting us and others weighing us down. Anger, fear, and resentment are low-frequency feelings that create tension, stress, and physical discomfort.
In contrast, high-frequency emotions like love, gratitude, and compassion promote feelings of lightness, joy, and openness. For Marnie, embracing these high-frequency emotions became essential in helping her family, especially her son Andy, find balance and peace amidst the unique challenges of neurodiversity.
Imagine holding onto a grudge or resentment. Your body feels tense, and your thoughts become clouded. Imagine focusing on a moment of pure joy or appreciation. Your whole outlook shifts and the world feels brighter. Marnie’s insights in the book remind us that these high-frequency emotions can lift us, improve our mood, and create a more positive atmosphere.
Living with high-frequency emotions doesn’t mean ignoring life’s challenges. Instead, it’s about choosing emotions that help us deal with those challenges with resilience and perspective.
By focusing on love and gratitude, we can change our emotional landscape, allowing growth and healing even in difficult times.
Power of Love and Support
Marnie discovered that love is more than just an emotion. It’s an energy that radiates warmth, safety, and acceptance. It is especially important for children like Andy, who are highly sensitive to their surroundings. She noticed that he felt more secure and understood when she approached Andy with love and patience. Love became a grounding force in their relationship, helping him to manage his anxieties and feel valued just as he is.
Creating a loving environment doesn’t require grand gestures. The little things matter most. Taking a few moments to listen attentively, offering a comforting hug, or simply being present can profoundly convey love.
For Marnie, showing love to Andy meant embracing his unique qualities and supporting him through difficult emotions without judgment. This approach improved not only their relationship but also the way he saw himself.
By choosing to act from a place of love, we build a supportive environment where everyone feels seen, accepted, and valued. This choice has a ripple effect, creating a positive atmosphere that uplifts everyone around us.
Embracing Gratitude and Shifting Focus
In EMBRACE, Marnie speaks about the power of gratitude and its ability to shift our focus from what’s missing in life to what’s already present. For parents of neurodiverse children, it can be easy to get caught up in challenges and overlook small wins.
Yet, Marnie found that by practicing gratitude even for the smallest moments of progress. She could change her perspective and see her son’s unique qualities as gifts.
Gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring difficulties. It’s about recognising the beauty in small, everyday moments. This shift helped Marnie manage her stress, allowing her to approach each day more patiently and joyfully.
She discovered that when she expressed gratitude through journaling or simply taking a moment to reflect, she felt more resilient and able to handle life’s uncertainties.
In the book, Marnie encourages readers to try daily gratitude practices, even if they start with just one thing they appreciate each day.
This practice isn’t just about feeling better at the moment. It’s a way to rewire our minds to see life from a place of abundance rather than lack.
Cultivating High-Frequency Emotions
Creating a home environment that supports high-frequency emotions can be a powerful way to bring peace and stability to family life. Marnie describes how she made small changes to create a calm, loving atmosphere in her home.
It included removing environmental stressors like artificial fragrances and processed foods, which can negatively impact mood and energy levels. By simplifying their surroundings and focusing on what truly mattered, Marnie created a space supporting her and Andy’s well-being.
Living with high-frequency emotions also means being mindful of our words and actions. Marnie also shares that small acts of kindness, offering encouragement, connecting, or simply sharing a quiet moment can reinforce the bonds of love and gratitude. These acts lift others and raise our frequency, creating a cycle of positivity that nurtures everyone involved.
For families, intentionally cultivating love and gratitude can create a ripple effect that touches each member. By setting this tone in the home, we can build a sanctuary that supports everyone’s emotional health, helping us face life’s challenges with renewed strength and connection.
Daily Practices For High-Frequency Emotions
Living in love and gratitude is a lifelong practice. Marnie shares that while it’s not always easy to maintain these high-frequency emotions, small daily habits can make a big difference. In the book, the author recommends incorporating simple practices like mindfulness, journaling, and setting positive intentions to help keep these emotions at the forefront.
Mindfulness is a powerful tool, helping us stay present and aware of our emotions. By pausing to breathe and focus on the present moment, we can centre ourselves, making choosing love and gratitude over frustration or impatience easier. Marnie found that mindfulness helped her stay calm during challenging moments with Andy, allowing her to respond from a place of empathy rather than reaction.
Journaling is another valuable tool for cultivating high-frequency emotions. Taking a few minutes daily to write down things we’re grateful for can reinforce a positive mindset.
Marnie’s journaling practice became a source of strength for her, reminding her of the beauty in her journey with Andy. This simple habit can help anyone reconnect with their purpose and maintain a sense of inner peace.
Committing to these small steps creates a foundation for emotional resilience and joy that can change our outlook on life.
High-Frequency Living with Embrace
Marnie Jurkowski’s EMBRACE: Navigating the Complexities of ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety with Love is a heartfelt guide to living in alignment with love and gratitude. Her journey with her son Andy offers invaluable lessons on how high-frequency emotions can improve relationships, build resilience, and create a supportive environment for neurodiverse children.
For anyone facing life’s challenges, the book is a reminder that love and gratitude are powerful tools that gracefully help us go through even the toughest moments.
Conclusion
By living with high-frequency emotions, we don’t just improve our well-being. We create a positive ripple effect that touches everyone around us. Marnie’s story shows that cultivating love and gratitude can lead to fulfilling and deeply connected lives with the people and experiences that matter most.
The book provides practical guidance and inspiration for those looking to embrace these emotions more fully, encouraging us all to live with an open heart and a grateful spirit.
EMBRACE reminds us to slow down, cherish the small moments, and live with intention in a world that often feels rushed and disconnected. By choosing high-frequency emotions, we can create a life filled with love, resilience, and a sense of purpose that radiates from within. To learn more, purchase your copy of EMBRACE: Navigating the Complexities of ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety with Love today!