Feelings: Don't erase them, embrace them!





Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings!

One of the most fascinating things about being human is the array of feelings which we are capable of experiencing. 

Excited   Intrigued

           Surprised    
   
Angry          Frightened

              Happy        

Satisfied        Curious


The list goes on and on.  What's even more fascinating to me is the fact that we can experience more than one feeling at a time.  We can experience feelings in an subtle manner, or in a very intense way, in an unlimited number of combinations.

Getting Comfortable with Our Discomfort 

Let's face it, some feelings are just more comfortable or desirable than others.  There are some feelings we try to dodge or escape.  As adults, we sometimes do it by pushing them down with alcohol, drugs, food, shopping, gambling, or electronic gadgets.  We may somehow believe that we can erase away uncomfortable feelings, but it does nothing in the long run to equip us for the next time the feeling comes along.  But, when we sit with an uncomfortable feeling, embrace it and let it pass, we will find that our feelings won't destroy us.  In short, we have to get comfortable with our discomfort.

Feelings: Don't Erase Them, Embrace Them!

One thing that is undeniably true, is that the more we are able to embrace uncomfortable or undesireable feelings, the less of a hold they have on us. When we can do this, we are in a much better postion to teach our children to do the same!  When in doubt, repeat the credo, "Feelings: Don't Erase Them, Embrace Them!"

Teach Your Children Well

Our children take their cues on handling emotions by watching us do it, observing our reactions and responses when we are upset, irritable, sad, frightened, uncertain, and more.  What did you teach your child about handling emotions today?


Comments

Tricia said…
Great, important advice! I like to think of it as "making friends" with your emotions. As you point out, some of them may make us feel uncomfortable, but, like any good friend would do, they're just trying to signal to us that something's going on in our lives that we need to attend to. So we need to listen to them and find helpful ways of responding that make us feel better (rather than drowning them in alcohol or distraction). And parents and adult mentors can be such powerful models to normalize the experience of tough emotions and to demonstrate healthy ways of managing when they arise!
Here, here, Tricia! Thanks for the lovely comment. That is absolutely right on! Our feelings give us information...and we are wise to pay attention!

Wendy =)

Popular Posts

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...