emotions are energy in motion. They are a form of communication with the soul
our ego has the ability to constrain our emotional states, either by labeling them with words like “angry” or “sad” or “happy”, or by cutting them off entirely
labeling emotions, especially if you do so specifically can be healthy when it is necessary to defer them in the present moment (work, school). Such is the case that, when your heart hurts, you might think to take an Advil. But in the long run
- It prevents you from truly feeling them
- It makes you results-focused (stuck on the results of the past or future) rather than process-focused
- It lets you mislabel your emotions
- Can create a misleading narrative of what your emotional state is
- Deprives you of the vital, healing, transformative energy you get through feeling them.
poetry, music, and visual art can all express your emotional state. The best way to get to know someone is through the music, poetry, and visual art that speaks to them
emotional mastery is not about dominating your emotions or living within them all the time, it is about learning how to express them in a way that is beneficial for you and the people around you