“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.
September 19th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Nicely written. Simple and sweet.