Definition
In Maltz's framework, feelings are not merely the output of events — they are also inputs to the nervous system that shape what happens next. Treating feeling as an instrument means using it deliberately: reading it as a signal about the current state, and adjusting it as a lever when the current state is not the one you need.
The shift is from passive ("I feel anxious because the meeting is hard") to operational ("I am about to do hard work; what state should I bring, and how do I get there?").
Why it matters
How it works
The instrument has two settings. As a signal, you read what the feeling is pointing at: tightness in the chest before a conversation may flag an unresolved concern; quiet certainty before a task may mean the preparation has landed. As a lever, you use a small set of techniques — imagery, breath, posture, a brief recall of a past win — to shift the state in the direction the work requires.
Maltz's central technique is rehearsed imagery: spend a few minutes daily re-entering states you want to be able to find on demand (calm, confident, generous, focused), so the nervous system has a path back. The result is a person who can both listen to feelings and steer them — a far more useful posture than either ignoring them or being run by them.