What Are You Feeling?

Feelings can be a challenge. How might you ask? Feelings can be a challenge to not only describe at times but sometimes more important to express. Unexpressed feelings can just end us as emotions that are stuck with nowhere to go. Over time those emotions can build up and may even come out in unexpected ways.
 
Did you grow up with feelings being expressed? For most of us, I would say probably not. Expressed emotions tend to make people uncomfortable. Like they did something wrong or something that they want to fix but can’t. Even at events, such as funerals, where are emotions are more acceptable, you may still have trouble with others getting to witness you cry.
 
The first funeral that I went to was for my maternal grandfather when I was 17. I remember that funeral for many reasons, one of which being the Ice Storm of ’98, but the other was one that stuck with me for any funeral that I went to in years to come. My grandmother had lost her husband of 57 years and I never saw her cry. The word stoic has always come to mind. Now come to find out, it seems to be a trait amongst the women in that family. Feelings had a place and in public wasn’t one of them.  I don’t have any idea what she felt behind closed doors, again those types of feelings weren’t meant to be revealed.
 
In this period of time that we're in, right now, our feelings are coming to the surface. Things that you might never have known about are being revealed. They’re being seen in a different light.  There may have been long-standing issues that you’ve been working on and another piece of the puzzle will fall into place.  As you move through this experience, remember one thing. Allow your emotions to come out, even if you’d prefer, they stay hidden.  A little trick that I’ve used is to watch tearjerker movies and television shows to allow myself to cry.  I may be crying over something in my own life, but there’s something freeing in the act of allowing it to come out through watching a piece of fiction. 
 
The other reminder is if you have the opportunity this holiday season, tell someone that you love them. It can seem like life will last forever, but that’s not always the case.  You never know where life will take you and it can take people to places where we can’t follow.  It’s important to state how you feel when you have the opportunity.  You don’t want to look back years from now and wish that you would have said something.  You may not always get an I love you in return, but at least those feelings aren’t hidden inside.  Feel any feelings that are rising on the surface right now. It’s an important phase in your growth as a person.
 
What are you feeling? Let me know. Do you want to know more, click here to book a discovery session or an appointment.