Feelings & Emotions

I find it easier to deal with things going on in my life if I can identify how I am feeling about that. I think this represents living rather than going through the motions. I have had very specific reactions to certain feelings, but I’ve learned that if I stop to think and reflect in the moment what I am actually feeling, I can sometimes purposely act (rather than react) which usually makes any situation or encounter better for all involved.  I believe this may be the definition of coping.

Sometimes I have to externalize my feelings to someone. Other times, I can acknowledge them myself and come up with ways to act and cope with them. In thinking about feelings, I remembered this wheel I had come across, and it helps me identify the core feeling being tapped, which then helps me identify the most appropriate action to it. But to catch a reaction before it happens, I have to be deliberate and slow down enough.

The chain reaction from thoughts, to feelings, to actions can be fast. But the one thing I know for sure is that talking about how we feel with each other is the greatest gift we can give each other. Sharing our feelings with one another is often frowned upon and seen as a weakness. This is wrong

What I know, based on some pretty significant experiences in my own life is that sharing how we feel and being vulnerable with others illustrates strength, and it’s contagious. I’m not saying that  all feelings need to be shared all the time, but when we risk it with trusted people, it sure does let us know we’re ALL in this together. Sharing feelings with each other makes them less scarier and gets them out of our mind and bodies where they can wreak havoc.

We’re really good at celebrating joy and happiness, but perhaps we can be better at recognizing the celebrations and strength it takes for us to share our feelings and emotions with each other. Because I have the best friends in the whole world, we try to do this from time to time. 🙂

secondary emotions_full