Buddhism teaches us that human life will encounter suffering. We understand suffering as experience that feels unpleasant or painful. The trick is not to avoid or deny the experience but, rather, to become aware of it. Awareness provides opportunity.
When we are aware of our internal experience, we have space to honor it. We remind ourselves that no feeling is final, and all things come and pass.
Emotions are elements of a vast internal landscape, like the weather. Some days we feel lighter than others. Moods are states that can fluctuate naturally depending on an array of factors, some of which we can control and others less so. We can feel whatever we feel and still authentically co-create a life we love.
Emotions, neither pleasant or unpleasant, are inherently good or bad. We tend to long for pleasure and reject pain, but all are just energy flowing through us. What we DO with the emotion matters, not that we feel the emotion itself. We refine our humanity when we consider how we allow the feeling to influence our behavior or how we show up in our relationships, and how far it takes us away from our core.
Do you allow your emotions move you closer to what you value and what your intentions are? Or do you notice that they push you further away from your whole self?
It’s really okay to not be okay.
Share what’s real for you with a safe someone who can offer you space to be heard and empathy for the experience. It is that connection that provides safety and builds community.
It’s all moving through, and you are the master and co-creator of your life. This doesn’t mean you will always feel happy every single waking moment, or you will never encounter stressors or problems.
Honoring what you feel is about becoming aware of it, getting curious about it, where it lives in your body, and what information it holds for what your next steps are. This process allows it to move through you fluidly. This helps you stay attuned to your path and aligned with your deepest values and intentions for conscious-living.
For more on how to use Buddhist philosophy to live your best life, reach out! I can help.
