We all need to be emotionally honest.
We all feel. Yet as human beings, we often hold our emotions back.
Sometimes, we worry what we really want to say might offend or hurt another. Deep down, we’re scared about revealing too much, getting vulnerable. Or that what we reveal may take the relationship to the next level and create real connection.
It feels like our soft underbelly is exposed for all the world to see.
We need be emotionally honest. We need to get to what’s real. Of course, we don’t want to get angry and vent all over other people. But when we feel disappointed, joyous, frustrated or loving — we shouldn’t hold it inside.
Emotional honesty begins within. Acknowledging what you’re actually feeling.
Noticing a sensation somewhere in your body. Heart pounding, hairs standing on end, muscles tightening. Emotions are the fuel for our thoughts and actions. They create momentum for what our mind envisions.
It’s crucial to choose what kind of momentum you’ll be setting in motion.
There’s a huge difference between a freight train running someone off the tracks and a sailboat catching the wind.
How you express emotional honesty matters.
I’ve observed so many of the problems humans face involve emotional dishonesty. Feeling one thing and saying another. Acting like we’re fine when we’re not. Loving someone and not telling them. Withholding strong emotions until you can’t take it anymore and then the ‘feelings volcano’ explodes all over your relationship.
When we get honest with ourselves and others, we speak out our emotions when they’re just emerging and at a manageable intensity. When we decide emotions are not a weakness — life improves.
I invite you to summon the courage to express yourself. Take a deep breath and name exactly what you feel. Say directly, ‘I’m feeling (disappointed, unsure, happy, scared, elated) right now and here’s why.’
Wow, that’s a relief. Breathe it out.
Empaths experience emotions even more intensely than others. Because we sense everything underneath, what a person’s not saying, what they’re holding back, it can feel really intense.
Honesty’s like a breath of fresh air. Finally, what’s on the surface matches what we sense within!
Empaths are naturally tuned-in to emotional energy, both our own and someone else’s. So yes, you’re going to sense other people’s feelings, but you have a choice whether to hoist them on your back and carry them down the road.
When you practice emotional honesty, you’re role modeling a healthier way of communicating within relationships. Imagine how much better life will get when a) you don’t hold inside your own emotions and b) you aren’t taking on the feelings of someone else.
Emotional honesty, give it a shot. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
