I created the terms 'emotional shark' and 'emotional dolphin' in 2000 whilst doing some charity work with abused children in my hometown of Brisbane.  It was at one of their Christmas parties that this visual description came to me. These brave little children around age three to five years who were in what I call 'abuse rehab' had grown up in unsafe environments emotionally, physically and sexually around predatory emotional sharks. Many of them had little faith in human beings, and I understood that. I too as a child had their history and did not like or trust adults. 

I was lying in bed on Sunday morning staring out of the window, when a word picture landed on my heart, like a divinely beautiful butterfly. 

Anger, Jealousy, Hate, Resentment and Gluttony .... These are what I call the  High Five of Fears that most of us reluctantly face at least once or twice in our lifetime. 

Fear within our heart creates toxins; emotional manure if you like, that can either be dumped or responsibly recycled.  Planting love in our hearts is like planting trees, it provides beauty, life, and a future.  Fear is like a toxic weed that strangles Love and life's potential if left unattended. 

They say when one door closes another one opens, but there times in our lives when it seems that doors don't just gently close on us, sometimes it feels like they are slammed shut in our faces. 

When relationships, careers, health issues and commitments previously made don't unfold as we had hoped they would, for whatever reason, we are then faced with having to swallow and emotionally digest the bitter taste of disappointment.