Recently I went to a meeting for educators and organizations that work with kids. We listened to a short and powerful presentation from a suicide prevention group. Because my business is focused on helping others learn to honor themselves and others through understanding we are each born with a unique inner blueprint, I kept thinking about emotions as I listened. I even mentioned this topic when people were asking questions. I spoke of how we as adults need to not dismiss our own emotions and the emotions of others, especially the children we are around. Far toooooo often I hear from clients and friends, “I shouldn’t feel this way” or something similar. Or I hear parents tell their children when I am out and about to “Suck it up” or “You should be happy”, etc. We minimize emotions, those natural feelings we all experience. Children (and adults) internalize, “I shouldn’t feel this way, it is wrong” and therefore learn that feelings that make them not feel good are bad to have.
Our feelings matter and if to no one else, they should matter to us! There are always going to be people that have it better and people that have it worse, but for that moment in time, your emotions are all that truly matter and the sooner you honor them, the sooner you can move through them.
So the next time you’re feeling blue or feeling pure joy, let yourself, give yourself permission to really feel. The next time your child gets their feelings hurt, tell them, “Wow, I can see that made you feel sad (or mad or ___), I don’t blame you for feeling that way!” The next time someone tells you about the stress in their life, just listen, not to fix it, but just to let them share. And the next time someone doesn’t honor your emotions, honor them for yourself because, Emotions Matter!Corinne (Cory) Scurlock, MA founder and owner of Create Hope First. Cory helps people quickly understand their inner nature so that they can start living more authentically. www.CreateHopeFirst.com
