As I get older, I’ve realised that difficult emotions can positively impact my life and relationship. Here’s how I resonate with what you’ve shared on the blog:
Anger: When we can express openly, it can highlight problems in a relationship that need fixing, ultimately making the bond stronger. I read a book called Conflict and learned that It's important to have a safe space to express our anger.
Envy: I’ve found that envy now motivates me to improve myself by aspiring to qualities I admire in others. Somehow it also makes me feel more alive.
Sadness: Sharing my sadness has led me to find true friends and has enriched my life with genuine connections.
Depression:I’m not sure if I ever experienced clinical depression, but I went through a very difficult and sad period. This time of deep sadness led to self-reflection and stronger friendships, teaching me valuable lessons despite the hardship.
Guilt:As a practicing Buddhist, guilt keeps me aligned with my core values, preventing me from doing things I’d regret.
Fear:Fear drives me to plan carefully for the future, ensuring I’m prepared.
Shame:Growing up, I faced comments about my appearance that made me feel ashamed, but I’ve since learned that external judgments don’t define my worth.
Thanks again for encouraging us to embrace these uncomfortable feelings, understand them, and grow from them. 🙏🏼
Another great piece that I enjoyed, prompting me to leave a comment.
I especially love your comment on envy. "Somehow it also makes me feel more alive" is the very thing we should all be taught to embrace more. I think when you try to "over" suppress envy, the unintended side effect becomes less care towards others. You become indifference and the voice inside you is, "I don't want to care, because I don't want to get hurt".
And thanks for mentioning the book, I've not heard of it before but had a quick read of the preview pages and wow, I think this part sums it up nicely - "Couples and teams are happier when they are in the habit of passionate disagreement. Conflict can draw people together." I wholeheartedly agree and really like the way the author frames it "habit of passionate disagreement". I think I need to get more inspiration from this book!
This is an incredibly enlightening piece! This is such a good growth mindset to adopt when dealing with emotions! Instead of just avoiding feelings of anger or depression, looking deeply into the cause of them can lead you to learn more about what's going on with your life!
In they way you've described them, emotions are almost like indicators. Being happy indicates something positive is happening, and you should continue it. Depression indicates there is an aspect of your life that you are deeply unsatisfied with, and that you should end it. Wonderful article!
Thank you so much for the compliment, Bethel! I have a big grin on my face right now because it is surprisingly rare to find those who would agree that there's a place for all the emotions. With the backing of evolutionary science detailing how some of these traits were extremely beneficial for our survival (and reproduction), for the 21st century era, however, we have aimed beyond that - it's now all about health and happiness.
Yes! If we can all inch closer to better understand our own emotions, the world would surely be less manic. Our behaviours and actions would be less animalistic and conditioned, and become more conscious and empathetic towards one another. I think modern medicine isn't tackling depression wholesomely right now. The industry is dispensing drugs without deeper understanding of the origin of depression in the first place. I'm a big believer that our body can guide us best when everything else makes little sense.
As I get older, I’ve realised that difficult emotions can positively impact my life and relationship. Here’s how I resonate with what you’ve shared on the blog:
Anger: When we can express openly, it can highlight problems in a relationship that need fixing, ultimately making the bond stronger. I read a book called Conflict and learned that It's important to have a safe space to express our anger.
Envy: I’ve found that envy now motivates me to improve myself by aspiring to qualities I admire in others. Somehow it also makes me feel more alive.
Sadness: Sharing my sadness has led me to find true friends and has enriched my life with genuine connections.
Depression:I’m not sure if I ever experienced clinical depression, but I went through a very difficult and sad period. This time of deep sadness led to self-reflection and stronger friendships, teaching me valuable lessons despite the hardship.
Guilt:As a practicing Buddhist, guilt keeps me aligned with my core values, preventing me from doing things I’d regret.
Fear:Fear drives me to plan carefully for the future, ensuring I’m prepared.
Shame:Growing up, I faced comments about my appearance that made me feel ashamed, but I’ve since learned that external judgments don’t define my worth.
Thanks again for encouraging us to embrace these uncomfortable feelings, understand them, and grow from them. 🙏🏼
Another great piece that I enjoyed, prompting me to leave a comment.
I especially love your comment on envy. "Somehow it also makes me feel more alive" is the very thing we should all be taught to embrace more. I think when you try to "over" suppress envy, the unintended side effect becomes less care towards others. You become indifference and the voice inside you is, "I don't want to care, because I don't want to get hurt".
And thanks for mentioning the book, I've not heard of it before but had a quick read of the preview pages and wow, I think this part sums it up nicely - "Couples and teams are happier when they are in the habit of passionate disagreement. Conflict can draw people together." I wholeheartedly agree and really like the way the author frames it "habit of passionate disagreement". I think I need to get more inspiration from this book!
This is an incredibly enlightening piece! This is such a good growth mindset to adopt when dealing with emotions! Instead of just avoiding feelings of anger or depression, looking deeply into the cause of them can lead you to learn more about what's going on with your life!
In they way you've described them, emotions are almost like indicators. Being happy indicates something positive is happening, and you should continue it. Depression indicates there is an aspect of your life that you are deeply unsatisfied with, and that you should end it. Wonderful article!
Thank you so much for the compliment, Bethel! I have a big grin on my face right now because it is surprisingly rare to find those who would agree that there's a place for all the emotions. With the backing of evolutionary science detailing how some of these traits were extremely beneficial for our survival (and reproduction), for the 21st century era, however, we have aimed beyond that - it's now all about health and happiness.
Yes! If we can all inch closer to better understand our own emotions, the world would surely be less manic. Our behaviours and actions would be less animalistic and conditioned, and become more conscious and empathetic towards one another. I think modern medicine isn't tackling depression wholesomely right now. The industry is dispensing drugs without deeper understanding of the origin of depression in the first place. I'm a big believer that our body can guide us best when everything else makes little sense.
Yes! That is why I always advocate therapy before medication—so much could be solved by simply getting a better understanding of ourselves!