Feelings: Embracing and Understanding Your Emotions

Feelings: Embracing and Understanding Your Emotions

What do you think about your emotions? Do they embarrass you? Do you see them as a sign of weakness?

What do you do when you’re flooded with feelings?

Personally, I’ve struggled with this for years. I used to think that showing my emotions was a weakness. But over time, I’ve come to understand that the opposite is true—it takes real courage to feel your emotions while not letting them control you. In fact, emotions can be a gift. If you want to fully experience happiness, you must also allow yourself to feel sadness. You can only experience the good emotions to the same extent that you allow yourself to feel the painful ones. Grief, sadness, loneliness—none of us want to experience them, but they’re a part of life. If you push them away, they’ll eventually come back, often exploding at the worst possible time. Trust me on this one.

Emotions are also valuable tools. They give you insight into what’s happening in your world, like warning lights on a car’s dashboard. When you see a red warning light, you don’t ignore it—you check to see what’s wrong. The same goes for emotions. If you’re feeling anger, it might be a sign that someone is crossing your boundaries. If you’re feeling  frustrated, could it be that you’re grieving unmet needs in a relationship?

Instead of resenting your emotions, start paying attention to them. Don’t let them control you, but listen to the messages they’re sending. Stop and ask yourself why you’re feeling lonely, guilty, angry, or any other emotion. You might be surprised by what you uncover.