What is all this white stuff on the ground? Yesterday I went running in t-shirt and shorts and now there is 4-6 inches of snow out there. The best news is I can probably go cross-country skiing from my door today. As I write I find myself thinking about a crew of technicians I worked with this morning who were grieving the surprise loss of a co-worker. Their emotions were near the surface but held in check. I think about how we are all so well trained at keeping our feelings contained and wonder if that is good for us?
Emotions are powerful signals that we are alive and that we have feelings about what is going on. These feelings are what make us more then just a thinking machine. When we have feelings, it means we have a heart and the capacity: to love; to have passion for life; to care for others; to feel excited; to know joy; to experience inspiration and inner peace and so much more. Yet, too often, we suppress what we feel because we have thoughts that we should. These thoughts need to be re-examined if we are to feel fully alive.
Our heart is the source of our desire to live and to create the life we want. Feelings are the juice of life that needs to flow easily and fully. Each of us needs to feel to relate to ourselves and to others. We all know people who feel lots and feel little. Those that feel lots have more fun and live life more fully. Those that hold back emotions often miss out on how good life can feel. The important thing is to feel what you feel. Even difficult emotions need to be acknowledged. Let whatever we feel be okay.
Here are some basic tips to take care of your feeling heart:
• Be accepting of who you are and what you feel
• Express your feelings with awareness and then move on
• Enjoy all the aliveness that comes from feeling
• Be respectful of the feelings of others
• In each moment be aware of what emotions are flowing through you and enjoy feeling so alive.
Having a heart is good and feeling love and joy will make for a wonderful life. Feel as fully as you can. The world needs lots of passionate people to make sure everything works out for the best.
Note: My billionaire heart journal entry below has gotten some very nice response. I will write more about that soon. In the mean time feel your heart and all that flows through it.