Emotions Aren’t Good Or Bad, They Just Are

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As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, I tend to want to make my life all positive, all the time. I always want to feel amazing. If I am not feeling amazing, I feel as if I did something wrong. I backtrack and question every move that I’ve made. I feel as if I messed up somewhere. As if the papers in my pile are scattered and full of coffee stains. This makes it very difficult to deal with my emotions.

When I started going to therapy, it was pointed out to me that I label my emotions as either “positive” or “negative.” In response to positive emotions, I push myself to stay on the train of happiness. As for negative emotions, I tend to push them away and feel as if I caused my own demise. Obviously, this is not healthy, but I feel that a lot of us tend to do this. We do not want to deal with painful emotions, which is why we throw ourselves into our work or paste a fake smile upon our faces.

So, you are probably wondering, what did I do to correct this? Well, I simply started labeling my emotions as “emotions.” Go figure. Instead of having two categories for my emotions, I started to view and approach them in the same manner. After all, they are all products of our experiences. In this sense, there is something that is entirely pure and natural about our emotions. It is as if each emotion is a beautiful sculpture that is formed when we let ourselves feel.

But there is nothing either negative or positive about this. It is what makes us human.

It can be hard to deal with emotions such as anger and sorrow. But remember that the road to anything worthwhile is going to be filled with obstacles. Resisting this road is only going to make life harder. So, just go with it. Allow yourself to simply feel with no boundaries. Allow yourself the freedom to just be. Do not be a prisoner in your own body simply because your emotions make waves across the surface of your mind.

Emotions are tools. They let you know where you are in your life and if you need to make changes. They are the body’s way of letting you know that you need to find time for yourself. Yes, this time may be filled with tears, but it is still time taken to allow yourself to grow and heal. Overall, all emotions provide guidance and leave from for improvement.

Feeling your emotions is a form of meditation and inner reflection. It allows you to connect with your body. Just like going to gym allows you to sculpt your physicality, feeling your emotions allows you to sculpt your mentality. So, next time you feel something, feel it to your core. Do not resist your feelings. Let it wash over you because, in the end, that is how we are able to find inner peace and compassion for ourselves.

featured image – Basheer Tome