“Don’t cry.”
“Don’t be sad.”
“Don’t be angry.”
“Don’t be embarrassed.”
How often are we encouraged not to feel the way we feel?
Sometimes it isn’t convenient or socially acceptable to have a breakdown or be furious, so we keep it inside.
We hide our undesirable emotions in favour of appearing strong, making someone else comfortable, or not rocking the boat.
The more we do this, the easier it gets to discount our emotional experience and pretend it isn’t there.
And the more we do this, the more it becomes a habit. Ignoring the stuff we consider bad means that we’ll also (unintentionally) ignore the stuff we consider good.
So cry.
Be sad.
Be angry.
Be embarrassed.
Feel the way you feel. (Grab a bathroom stall if you need to.)
But never let anyone steal your joy – especially yourself.