I was just talking with someone I love dearly about emotions.
She was telling me that she’s feeling really sad lately, and she feels bad for feeling sad. She’s got a situation in her life that she’s not sure how to handle.
The situation is totally something to be sad about. Just about anyone would agree. And it’s absolutely fine to feel sad.
What I cautioned her against, was adding extra drama to the drama.
It’s fine to feel sad. That’s perfectly normal and really healthy. But when you start beating yourself up about feeling a certain way, and that you shouldn’t be feeling that way, you’re adding unnecessary drama.
What if you just decide that you’re feeling sad, and it’s okay.
What if you tell yourself that you’re going to feel sad for a little bit, and then it will go away.
It might come and go for a while. You might feel it here and there.
Just tell yourself that it’s okay.
Don’t add extra drama to the drama and tell yourself that you shouldn’t feel a certain way, or that it’s not okay.
I like to think of emotions being kind of like the ocean.
The tide goes up, it comes back down.
Sometimes the waves are huge and scary, other times they are calm and peaceful.
The ocean never stays the same for a very long time. Situations come and they go.
That’s the same as emotions. Sometimes you’re up, other times your down.
Sometimes you’re calm, other times you’re raging.
But none of these scenarios lasts very long. They come and go.
Be willing to feel your emotions. They will come and go.
Don’t add extra drama to the drama. Just tell yourself that you’re feeling a certain way, and it’s okay. It will pass.