Life hits you when you least expect it to. Holding it all together during those times is challenging. When emotional challenges overwhelm me, I’m learning to give myself permission to be human. Easier said than done, for sure. Being human means having unwanted emotions and not knowing what to do with them. Sometimes so many emotions are fighting for center stage that the whole show gets ruined. When conflicting emotions like joy and sadness come head-to-head, a riot ensues. The more I fight against the feelings and try to control when to let them out, the stronger they become.
Permitting myself to be human means accepting, processing, and honoring what I feel when I feel it. There is no hiding from or stuffing what lies just beneath the surface. A volcano doesn’t wait for a convenient time to erupt, nor do emotions. Releasing feelings when they come to me means they aren’t piling up waiting for me to get back to them. If you fold the laundry when the dryer stops, you have less work to do. There are fewer wrinkles to iron if any at all, and the mound of clothing is manageable.
It’s easy to think you’ll get back to dealing with your emotions, but the thing is, they operate on their own schedule. Anticipation is one way to be prepared for what you think is to come, but you never truly know. When a wave of emotion hits you, my advice is to give yourself permission to be human. Being human isn’t always easy, but we don’t have to make it harder on ourselves. Honor each emotion the way you would people from your past. Connect with those you enjoy. Reconnect with the ones you might have missed. Tolerate those whom you don’t like. Feel it all.
