Chris,
How do you recognize and manage your emotions?
Signed,
Looking for control
~~~~~~~~~~
Ah, looking for control…
Let me ask you this…
Why?
- Do you want to recognize them so that you can control them?
- Do you think you really can?
- Do you think you really should?
Ok, I’ll get off my interrogation stance…
Here’s the thing…
You already know you’re emotions and how they play out in various situations.
If you’re unsure, let me suggest you begin to journal. It’s a great way of “seeing” yourself in ways you can’t in the moment.
So what I’m really thinking you’re asking is how to manage your emotions…
Simple…
You can’t.
I honestly believe that you are MEANT to access each and every emotion given to you. It’s how we learn, it’s how we grow and it’s an experience you’re meant to have.
The reason we want to manage our emotions is so that we don’t hurt others.
Got it…
So we need to be less than who we truly are, so that others are not hurt?
How does THAT make you feel?
I’ll go back to that tool/process I mentioned earlier…journal.
- A journal will give you insight into who you are and the emotions that you NEED to feel, express and own.
- A journal will give you the space to “control” your emotions, by working through them.
- A journal will show you that there are some emotions that are needed and others that are just designed to have an experience of life.
In essence, looking for control, give up the hope of managing your emotions to the point that you don’t have them.
The result of pushing them down or ignoring them is two-fold:
- The emotion shows up in other ways and sometimes with the wrong people
- The emotion eats away at you and causes more damage than it’s worth
You can and should experience EVERY freaking emotion that’s been given to you.
The key is to learn “the gift” it’s meant to give to you.
You will TOTALLY miss it if you try to manage it.
And to those “others,” who don’t want to experience your emotions, rest assured…that’s THEIR lesson…not yours.
Experience your emotions, through a trusted friend, an open journal, a healthcare professional…whatever YOU need…but experience them.
It’s all designed to make you the powerful gift to the world, that we’re all hoping to model in our own lives.
Trust that you’re being given a gift and let it be an amazing present!
~ Find the gift!
If you have a question, challenge or issue that you’d like me to respond to for this blog, simply email me. I will respond to as many as I can and you will remain anonymous.