[jimrich]

Originally Posted by H:O:R:A:C:E

internalizing bad feelings and accepting them as part of our makeup will lead us to lash out at undeserving targets and "innocent bystanders".

The unfortunate things is that some folks do not even know that they have "internalized" bad feelings or have made these hidden feelings part of their makeup so when they "lash out", they and others just accept that as a "fluke" of their behavior and never suspect that the lashing out is the consequence of secretly holding in bad feelings - such is what happened to Adolf Hitler! This process and pattern is often seen in war veterans as PTSD.

identifying the true origination of those bad feelings is better.

IMO, it's the best way to find and then work to release or express/vent those bottled up, unhealed, bad feelings.

there is better still i believe.
empowerment of self is what i'm driving at.
choose what emotionally charged thoughts you wish to direct.

This is easier said than done unless the PTSD victim is helped to uncover the painful, bad feelings which are mysteriously hiding within them.

to receive love, give love.
to receive love only, give love only.

Generally speaking, its not the "love" feelings that are the problem. Its usually the angry, humiliated, sad and PAINFUL feelings that need our help.

it is possible to transform ugly feelings within into harmless or beneficial energies.

In my experience, it is more a process of expressing, venting and releasing the damaged feelings rather than some magical process of "transforming" them. My bad feelings wanted to be recognized and allowed to express them self so, if that "transformed" them, well and good, but I never felt any kind of "transformation" - just a lot of relief and relaxation.

with the knowledge that people are always doing the best they can,
to the best degree they are capable of, with the tools they have available,
the notion of directing hurtful energies towards them is untenable.

IMO, not everyone, especially those who hurt me so long ago, did not always do the best they could nor to the best degree they were capable of with the tools available. They were just like me = fallible, ignorant, careless, jealous, mean, abusive, very foolish and sometimes they also did their best. Since they were not 100% good but a weird combination of good and bad, my feelings for how they mistreated me did indeed belong to and were sent to them starting with my parents. My damaged feelings demanded some kind of justice and had to be directed towards those who deserved my anger and complaints against them. If this had been a court of law, I assume the judge would have wanted my parents to hear my complaints and issues about their violations.

forgiveness is the tool for transforming negative energies.

I was taught that it is pointless and even stupid to "forgive" a violation unless the violator takes responsibility for their actions and ASKS for forgiveness. Negative energies are asking to be expressed and released, not covered up again with silly bandages of "forgiveness" and transformation - whatever that is? You can GET OVER a violation by letting your feelings about it express them self after which a feeling of relief might occur but forgiveness can only follow an honest confession and acceptance of responsibility for one's actions.

forgiveness is an internal processing.
once the energy is transmuted, then it can be directed outwardly; radiated.

You obviously have never worked with or dealt with repressed, bottled up, damaged feelings! There is no such thing as "transmuting" a feeling, damaged or otherwise. There is only expressing or releasing the backed up energy. I have no idea what this "transmuting" thing is about so please explain what it is.

if a person is new to transmuting energy -- give it to God.

LOL, I did that in therapy and god showed me how to find and then express the damaged, painful feelings that I'd kept buried within my self for so many years. There was no mystical thing like "transmutation" involved.

what we are is self determined; no amount of negative energy can wrest that responsibility from us. radiate that which you are. if you choose lovingness, give love.

You are completely wrong. Buried and unexpressed, damaged feelings can and do force folks to do and be all kinds of horrible and damaging things if not brought to the surface and safely released. This is often demonstrated in PTSD cases. It is nearly impossible for someone holding in repressed feelings and memories to be consistently "loving" but you would have to be working on your own issues to even understand that.

i think this approach goes a bit further than yours jimrich.

I don't think so, based on my experiences with bottled up, bad feelings. Your "approach" reads like fantasy and myth to me.

it doesn't feel possible to find a comfortable middleroad, compromise approach for me.

It is not and never was meant to be a comfortable, middle-road, compromise approach. Facing and releasing backed up, sour feelings and memories is very PAINFUL and DIFFICULT which is why those with PTSD usually need professional help to let the damaged feelings and memories go - if ever.

i sorta sense that all humans are essentially pure love.

Yes UNTIL they are damaged by bad parenting or some other damaging event like SHELL SHOCK.

to be authentic then, we'll wanna only ever express our true self.

Yep, assuming we ever find it again after being severely, emotionally damaged!

it is, of course, a choice.

Not for those with emotional damages!

we can choose to be non-100% loving, but that feels "lesser" to me.

When a person is deeply, emotionally damaged, it is nearly impossible to "choose" anything for them self. It feels like they are being forced to feel, think and do whatever the internal stress or confusion demands of them but you would have to be in their shoes to understand that.
this is why so many folks, including many therapists do not, cannot and WILL NOT understand those with deep emotional scars and trauma - like war vets so the PTSD victims are given cute little lectures about choosing love, being kind, smile, be happy, etc. while their inner, unresolved and IGNORED feelings are screaming for help and resolution. I know this because I had to help my damaged, screaming feelings find some relief by letting them come out, be felt and expressed in ways that you perhaps do not want to read about.