Mindful Monday: It Makes You Human

Feeling joy is like feeling rays of sunshine wash over you. The feeling is great. Unfortunately, the reality is we don't feel joy all the time. However, it would seem that our societal norm says that if you're not feeling happy, then keep it to yourself. 

The fact is, all emotions matter. Every emotion has a purpose. There is absolutely a time and place to be upset, like when boundaries have been crossed. There is a time and place for sadness, as it reminds us what matters to us. Even our little friend anxiety serves its purpose, as it helps us mitigate future problems. The goal is to not let any one emotion take over, but instead to feel our feelings and process them.  

As we age, our feelings become no less complicated. In fact, I feel like they only become more complex. (No one said adulting was easy.) 

There are times I’m not even sure what I’m feeling. Taking the time to breathe, be mindful, and reflect is absolutely the first step before I can make sense of them and decide how to move through them. There’s nothing wrong with “negative" feelings. It's what you do with them that matters. If there’s anything I’ve learned from not dealing with emotions in the moment is that they always have a way of rising to the top. If you don’t make time for them, they’re going to force you to make time later when it’s even less convenient.

Allow yourself the space to feel what you feel, and know there are no wrong emotions.