What are emotions? How were we taught to deal with them?
This lays the foundation for how we handle emotions as adults. Our environment, parents, society, teachers, and others directly and indirectly shape our emotional responses. Why are laughter and happiness treated differently from sadness and anger? "You're a boy; you're not supposed to cry" or "Don't cry like a girl" - where in the world would I find these "rules"? And which book, chapter, and page should I turn to for such information? "I don't understand why you're angry." Emotions are emotions, regardless of their nature. I've taught my kids to express all their emotions, just as I encourage them to stand up and speak up for themselves. I strive not to silence their voices. I've been told, "Oh, you meditate, so you shouldn't get upset or angry." Hahaha. I didn't realize I was meditating to become a robot. What I've learned is: 1. Feel every emotion passionately. It makes you more HUMAN making you more empathetic, allowing you to understand others better. 2. Experience emotions but also practice addressing and managing them. Respond rather than react. 3. Never suppress or be hard on yourself if you're crying, upset, or angry. Being harsh on yourself only compounds your unhappiness. It's beautiful how humans are blessed with various emotions, so let's feel, acknowledge, accept and express them all!