Do you ever wake up feeling miserable? Maybe life happens, and you sink into a miserable abyss without realizing it. When miserable pays you a visit, are you aware? Do you notice and pay attention to what’s going on?
When I feel miserable, I often get a healthy dose of despair to accompany my experiences. Misery loves company, right? I’ve learned something about it, though. Misery can mean that something important is out of alignment. Perhaps a personal value or boundary is screaming for attention. Maybe it’s an emotion that wants us to pay attention to something we care about. Did you ever push something to the bottom of your list so many times it felt like a monster instead of something you can whip out in a short block of time?
Let me say this: Misery does not mean you’re broken. It means something wants your attention. Those who know me realize I have an active journal life. When misery stops in for a visit, journaling about things I long for, things I’m avoiding, or things that matter to me always helps. (Oh, I see now that I set my feelings aside, and they want to play, too.) It allows me to shift the negative connotation of misery into something enlightening. Sometimes I play opposites with it: misery/joy, misery/love, misery/peace, misery/comfort. You see, both are present, and sometimes at the same time. Being aware of the extremes helps me settle into the juicy middle.
I know it is far easier to say these words than to put them into action—when misery is present, instead of running from it, run into it. Do you know anyone on this earth that is always happy; literally, always happy? I don’t. We’re all bound to experience a smidgen of misery from time to time. Psst! It means you’re human! Yes, hello misery. Thank you for reminding me it’s okay to put boundaries around… for me to value my desires… for me to be grateful.
Explore more feelings in the Stayin’ in Touch – Negative Emotions book. You can play with them when or wherever you like.
Image by Trương Hoàng Huy Ngân from Pixabay
Do you feel shame?
Emotions can be teachers for us to stay true to who we are or who we want to be. Think for a moment about the last time you felt shame. Where does that feeling come from? Did you think or believe that if you hid, your shame would disappear and no one would notice? Maybe you felt like you were flawed.
Continue Reading
What does Fear look like? To me, it looks like someone hiding from something or someone. It looks like a bird that takes flight when I walk too close or an animal that jumps upon hearing something startling. I sometimes do things because I am afraid of a certain outcome and choose to do something different so as not to elicit the feared conclusion or consequence.
Fear feels like running away or intentionally avoiding something. I feel it in my muscles because they tense up to somehow try to protect me. Sometimes I feel it in my gut, like a warning message. I feel fear when I’m outdoors, or camping in stormy weather. My fear comes from a place of wanting to feel safe.
What is the function of Fear? Oh, this is a big one! It functions in some circumstances to warn me of impending danger. Other times, it functions to keep me hidden from sight for one reason or another. Sometimes fear functions from a position of perspective, because I got a certain unwanted response as a result of something I said or how I said it.
I think, ultimately, fear is looking out for my best interests, and it wants me to feel safe and loved. Perhaps when I feel it, I can determine if it is protecting me, or if it is helping me to avoid or run away from something. If I’m avoiding, then I can acknowledge it and allow my fear to give me a big ol’ teddy bear hug. Then maybe I can listen to it with different ears and act accordingly.
Here is a permission slip for you to explore fear. It’s okay to do this in small incremental steps. Try a little short step. What does fear look like to you? How does it feel to you? What is fear’s function? How might you tweak it to work on your behalf?
Part of being human is being aware of all of our feelings…
Continue Reading
“What on earth is Xenia?” you ask. In my search for emotions, beginning with the letter X, I found the list to be rather limited. Good ol’ letter X and its interesting words! Let’s learn a new one, shall we?
From a standpoint of emotions, the meaning of xenia I’m working with here relates to the concept of hospitality to strangers. You’re being xenial when you extend kindness or hospitable gestures to strangers. Did you know that? This was a new one for me!
Continue Reading
No Results Found
Life Gifts
- Sending you patience while your body heals.
- I send you gentle care and comfort, and I hold your heart with love in mine.
- Sending you a luxury craft to drift in a while you regroup.
- I send you patience and understanding, and a powerful little elf to manage all your worries.
- Sending you nourishing soup for your soul.
- I send you fresh, fragrant flowers with lots of different colors to brighten your corner of the world.
- Sending you friendship to warm your heart and knowledge that you’re loved.
- I send you whimsical moments that make you giggle out loud, whether or not you’re around people.
- Sending you music to fill your heart with warmth and comfort.
- I send you delicious moments filled with rare and marvelous accents that grow your heart.
- Sending you tasty inspiration.
- I send you healing, detoxifying energy as your body benefits and heals from your weekend massage.
- I send you honor and respect as you navigate this wave in your life.
- I send you good thoughts for successful surgery, for doctors and nurses to care for you with love and honor, and for healing comfort.
- I send you bright flowers to see, smell, enjoy, and nurture.
- I send you virtual blankets to keep you warm, and good thoughts that your electricity is soon restored.
- I send you delicious moments to remove clutter from your life.
- Sending you quiet mornings to savor nature and listen to the musings of your heart.
- I send you delightful whimsey, goodness over flowing, and creative deliciousness today.
- Sending you rain to nourish the earth so that the earth can nourish you.
- I send you a cuddly blanket of appreciation for the beautiful person you are in this world.
- I send you delicious caring and big love.
- I send you focus and energy as you write today.
- I send you buckets of bubbling, juicy kindness.
- I send you wide open spaces big enough for all your dreams to materialize.
- I send you showers of grace and peace.
- I send you fresh, crisp apple bites of life to bite into everyday.
- I send you music to make your insides dance.
- I send you chortles, giggles and warm hugs.
- I send you clocks that indicate there is plenty of time.
- I send you showers of strength as you walk your journey.
- I send you life rafts for navigating the waters of life.
- I send you patience to allow new things to unfold positively for your life.
- I send you showers of confetti filled with sparkling, renewing energy to keep you fresh and succulent.
- Sending you calm to scatter around the chaos.
- I send you relaxing moments filled with love and caring.
- Sending you nourishing rest and mindful body care.
- I send you fruit-full surprises in your journey.
- Sending you magical lenses to sharpen your focus.
- Sending you giggles.
- I send you bright-colored flowers that fragrantly shower your surroundings with joy and delight.
- I send you comfy pillows to cradle you in love and comfort.
- I send you healing energy as you mend your heart and body.
- Sending you buckets of patience to spill in all the places that need some—be sure to douse yourself with some.
- I send you different flavored lollipops to quench your craving.
Tag
