How to Overcome Negative Feelings

I feel deeply.

I used to believe that feeling this intensely was a curse.

It was painful. It was exhausting. It was a struggle.

From heartbreaks to personal and professional disappointments. From super highs to super lows.

I was told to feel less. To feel less for others. To feel less excited. To feel no sadness or pain.

I was told to be tougher, more independent, think more with my head than my heart.

But it turns out, that’s bullshit.

The feelings aren’t the problem. The struggle to not feel is the problem. Fighting those feelings is the problem. Feeling shame for those feelings is the problem. Shoving them down and bottling them up is the problem.

We are human. We are made WITH those feelings for a reason.

Hiding those feelings, trying to ignore them, and suffering in isolation is the worst we can possibly do.

Like with so many gifts that come wrapped in sandpaper, feelings are valuable and pertinent.

They connect us to others. They make us compassionate and empathetic.

Feelings are our guides. The good ones and the uncomfortable ones. I want to dive a little deeper into this.

The good feelings are guides for our soul path. When we are in alignment with our core values, it feels good. There is a natural and beautiful flow.

The uncomfortable feelings (notice, I don’t call them ‘’bad feelings”?! Because they are NOT bad!!) are also guides. They signal and nudge us when we are out of alignment. Instead of trying to ignore them, we should take them very seriously and start digging / asking “What’s going on? Why am I feeling this way? What’s off?”

Imagine touching something hot by accident. The burning feeling tells us to take the hand off. It’s a message to the brain that something destructive is happening.

Why don’t we treat all of our feelings this way? Just because there is no physical damage? That’s ridiculous!!

You are not ok to be broken physically, but you are ok to be broken emotionally and spiritually? No wayyyyyy!

So, next time you have an uncomfortable feeling, check in with yourself and give that feeling the respect it deserves. No, the respect YOU deserve!!