“ALLOW yourself to feel,” my retreat master said. We were talking about buried emotions and listening to our heart’s whispers. “Name that emotion. Face it. Then move on,” she said.
Facing one’s emotions, especially when in deep anger or sadness, is a tough task. There have been many times that I turned to distractions, hoping that the negative feelings would fade away. Turned on the TV and got immersed in a series. Plugged in a video game. Blogged. Wrote. Ate. Slept. No matter how far I ran away from the feelings though, they always came back to haunt me.
I hate sadness. I hate feeling helpless, disconnected, hopeless. Who loves that anyway? But it’s only when I start acknowledging that I feel this way or that way that I can move on.
And so I share with you, as my retreat master shared with me, “Allow yourself to feel.”
Cry. Stomp your feet. Scream. Laugh. Express your emotions in a manageable way. Name the emotion. I’m feeling sad. I’m feeling angry. I’m feeling lonely. I’m feeling helpless. I’m indifferent.
When you acknowledge the feeling, moving on is easier. At least there are no tears swept under a rug, anger hidden behind curtains.
And then you’ll start to feel better. And then you’ll feel lighter. And hope isn’t as far off as you think.
6 Feedbacks on "Allow yourself to feel"
Rac Roldan
Nicely written. Simple and sweet.
Jay-R
I can so greatly relate to this… by recognizing my emotions, I feel that I am in a better position to control my reactions.
Cookies and Cream
Sadness is inevitable. Even the kindest human being is not spared from being hurt. It’s a part of life.
I guess sadness is like a visitor. It makes unannounced visit in our body from time to time. Just like any visitor, let’s entertain a little bit and acknowledge its presence. For it will not stay that long. It will surely say goodbye.
God Bless You Toni!
max tandan, jr.
release it by shouting, i got it from the song “SHOUT” by Tears for Fears, of course do it where you can’t disturb someone else, in school grounds when its empty, rooftop or simply yawning by shouting.
Going Straight
Feel it but not feed it. Great post.
sheks
feelings…emotions are all part of the human condition and mostly, these are all state of the mind…
its not wrong to express what you felt, whats wrong with it is when you are already hurting yourself…
cry, be hurt, laugh and grieve…these are all part of living in this planet earth but you have your family and most especially God to help you get through it…
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