Take Back Your Life!

I spent my first 25 years suppressing every emotion but humor (mirth). It took quite a few years of therapy to allow me to show love, anger, compassion, happiness, courage, etc. Not giving myself permission to express the full range of emotions turned me into a zombie-like wreck. Once I set myself emotionally free, my depression or whatever you call it lifted like a cement block off my chest. Life then became wonderful, lighter and I couldn’t wait to get up in the morning.

Because it took me so long to show emotion, I go nuts when I attend business or government events and the facilitator says, “We will check our emotions at the door.”

Huh?

Why would anyone want to suggest doing that? Golly, I think the lack of showing emotion is one of the main problems with work as we know it, with society as we know it, with the world as we know it. The boys who tend to go into a school and shoot it up are always described as quiet loners who didn’t show much emotion. It makes you feel dead inside to not be able to feel or feel you can’t express what you feel or even what you don’t feel.

What’s wrong with showing emotion? Maybe if we didn’t bottle it up so much folks wouldn’t explode when they absolutely can’t suppress it anymore. It’s like trying to keep a lid on a pot of boiling water.

Of course, the work setting seems to encourage automatons. How can they expect folks to shut themselves down for 40 hours a week? Makes no sense at all.

I go to various stores and everyone seems to be reading from the same script, suggesting value added items, etc. I went to one store where the person waiting on me made a mistake and got all flustered. I said, “Hey, it’s okay. Everyone makes what some folks label mistakes.” He smiled and said, “You’re right about that.” He’s now very free and loose when I come in. Let’s set each other free by encouraging each other to show our emotions!

I actually designed a logo for a t-shirt I’ll be selling in the future. The logo says “Be Human.” It also has some other things on it.

Anyway, back to the central question, What emotion do you fear most? I guess I’d have to say love to certain people. My husband, no problem. Most friends, no problem. Some other folks, a problem. I had the strangest relationships with men in my 20’s and 30’s. I found it too emotionally risky to say certain things I wanted to say like, “I like you,” so I said almost the opposite at times, acting like “I don’t like you.”

Then it didn’t work out and I cried me a river. Not so much for the guy but for my own inability to express what I really felt. That was the real tragedy. Take that chance, that risk. Fortunately, there’s usually a tomorrow and another chance to show more love.

How about you what emotion do your fear the most?

Thanks, Giulietta

p.s. Got a few local life shops coming up.