i do some emotions better than others.
like anger.
that one flares up easily.
the caustic words escaping my mouth
before i am able to catch them.
and sadness.
big fat gloppy tears
that squeeze out of my eyes
and race each other down my cheeks.
but i’m enthusiastic and energetic too.
i like to dance through my days.
to inspire, be inspired,
with purpose and vitality.
and i am strong.
maybe not so much physically.
but inside, where it counts.
there lies the strength of a lioness.
we shouldn’t ignore our feelings.
or stuff them down.
or ridicule or shun them.
our emotions give us a glimpse
of that somewhat secretive,
often mysterious inner world.
the one we are sometimes reluctant to explore.
is there a particular emotion that feels like it is threatening
to s-w-a-l-l-o-w you u-p?
maybe it’s not as obvious as it seems on the surface.
maybe you have to dig a bit to discover the underlying lesson.
i suggest scheduling an emotion appointment.
blocking out 15 minutes a week to simply sit with your most prominent feeling.
letting it happen.
enabling the answers to be revealed.
empowering yourself.
stop avoiding your feelings, stop judging them.
stop numbing them, stop repelling them.
if you do, they’ll stop fighting for attention.
listen. observe. value. express.
WHY?
because . . .
Working on your inner self helps you navigate with more clarity throughout life.
Honoring who you are includes acceptance of your emotions, of your humanity.
Yielding to your feelings makes interpretation of the world around you possible.
trust your emotions.
trust your inner barometer.
trust yourself.
how have your emotions allowed you to adapt,
to make better decisions,
to understand yourself more fully?
As a child I was often reprimanded by my mother for being “too sensitive” or too emotional. Thankfully, as an adult, I finally embrace my emotions in all of their splendor: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Thanks for sharing, April. I always enjoy reading your posts.
Oh, I love that. Make an ’emotion appointment’. So simple yet so loving and respectful toward ourselves. Those emotions can store up, create blocks and drive us in directions we never intended when they just are not acknowledged.
And, may I just say, how lovely it is to back reading your poetic posts. xo
Ah, emotions! I love emotions. I privately embrace mine so comfortably, even when they are uncomfortable. But I do try to push them down (the less accepted ones anyway) when in the presence of others. While there are of course times where fully releasing emotions would be inappropriate, it’s an area I could still improve in when appropriate to do so. I most enjoyed this line, “stop avoiding your feelings, stop judging them. stop numbing them, stop repelling them. if you do, they’ll stop fighting for attention.” What a scary thought for them to stop showing up exactly when I need them to. To miss the lesson they teach me about myself. Beautiful post, April!
It took me years to realize that I even had any spectrum to my emotions – they were so squelched as I was growing up, they all got diluted into a blurry grey puddle. Though I don’t always enjoy the discomfort of sitting in the blue depths of despair, or worry that the red rages will take over completely, part of me secretly revels in the rainbow I now feel. And how more strongly I experience the yellow warmth of joy, the rosy pink of love because of it.
I love the idea of an emotion appointment and feeling what you feel. Recognizing what’s going on internally can fly out the window when you’re busy. I want to introduce this into my week (even my days).
Thank you for sharing your heart April!!
The idea of an emotion appointment is profound – I certainly have found it lighter to feel all my emotions (not at the time) but after I have processed through them. Great message April xx
Thank you for this reminder!!! It is so important to feel our feeling as we have them but I always forget and go to stuff them down, then they come out in other ugly ways, i really liked this post
I totally agree that we shouldn’t ignore, deny or stuff our emotions . . . that they have lessons to teach us. And yet, I stuff mine with food. I’m an emotional eater, a food addict, a binge eater. Or more like an eat-all-the-time-er. Sort of LOL. Anyway, I’ve been working on that. I’m in a place right now, though, where I need to really explore my emotions because I’m shoving them down with food again. I love the idea of an emotion appointment to create a regular practice. Thank you.
Emotional appointments, YAY! I had one of those just last week..felt really good. Fantastic April!
Like Sue Ann, I’ve been told my whole life that I’m overly emotional.
Particularly by men. Argh.
I’ve always been PROUD that I express my emotions. And I’m even more expressive the older I get. 😉
I am on this personal development kick that involves re-connecting with my inner life just as you suggest and this has helped clarify some of what I am going through… I guess we have been trained to give our logic greater value than our emotions, but it is time that we re-connect with them.
I LOVE what you did with the WHY btw.
LOVE this post! For the best part of my life I believed that it wasn’t okay to be sad because other people like to see me happy, right? It’s only a few years ago that I realised it stemmed from my father telling me I had a sad face when I was little. Crazy that we let such things from affecting us without knowing it! Now I know it’s okay to be sad and I sit with it and process it. I try to teach my son the same too, that all emotions are valid, we just need to let them flow through us. Thanks for sharing.
What a great post – and you’re so poetic April 🙂 I’ve had a journey with navigating my emotions. From complete suppression and denial to over-expressing (hello anger and sadness) to allowing them to simply be, without resistance of judgement. They usually dissipate on their own, leaving no traces behind. I’ve also gotten less attached to any specific emotion such as excitement and happiness, because like the waves of the ocean, it is their nature to come and go. Thanks for the beautiful post.
I love the way that you write April! It was such a treat to read. My emotions can be read like a book all over my face so over the years I’m getting a better pokerface. It’s getting me into a lot less trouble 😉