More Than Your Moods
The Alter Rebbe teaches that intellect and emotions are only garments and tools of the soul, which in itself stands far above all of them.
In explaining the opening of the Tikkunei Zohar, Patach Eliyahu, the Alter Rebbe describes the soul as a simple light in itself. Its intellect and its emotions are its garments and tools, which the soul puts on and uses, the way a woodcutter uses an axe. The body is also a garment, yet the soul is so united with it that it feels the pain of a bruised finger, and the limbs follow its will in an instant. Intellect and emotions work the same way: through them the soul loves and understands. But they change, as a child loves small things and a grown person loves greater ones. The soul itself is higher than all of these and does not change with them. Who you really are lies beneath every mood.
Source: Torah Ohr, Vayera 1:3-4
When you feel a wave of frustration, discouragement or restlessness today, name it to yourself: this is a feeling, and I am not only my feelings. Take one slow breath, then choose one small action that reflects your deeper self, such as a kind word, a few lines of Tehillim or a few quiet minutes of learning. The Alter Rebbe teaches that the soul stands above its emotions and uses them as tools. You can use them, rather than let them use you, and you can begin right now.