Weekly Newsletter: Own Your Feelings

One of the best ways to release emotions we deem harmful is to own them, and even to admit them to others. Take for example the emotion of envy. In its mild form envy can be helpful, even productive. I might see a good athlete and be envious of his talent. As long as we don’t allow our thoughts to turn in the wrong direction, envy can spur us on to work harder to achieve similar results. If the emotion is not owned and released, envy can manifest itself in ugly ways and lead to cruel words or actions.
 
If I am jealous of another author’s success, I have learned to own that feeling, and to even admit to them I am jealous — not because of their success — but because I haven’t been as fortunate. This allows me to own the feeling, and then I am able to sincerely admit I am happy for them in spite of my petty jealousies. When we do not own our feelings, they can turn ugly. When you bury your feelings they take root and grow. Owning them is like plucking them before they have a chance to germinate.
 
Owning our positive feelings provides positive results. By owning our joy, happiness, and love, we plant them more firmly in the soil of the soul where they germinate and grow, producing rich fruit that nurtures us and those around us.