Sad, angry, happy, scared, ok or not ok – it’s ok.

Recognise it. Feel it. Study it.

Perhaps the feeling is useful in taking an action, maybe it helps you learn something about yourself, or it could be based on a misunderstanding. Regardless, I’ve seen personally that when I take action it leads to something useful. Even if the action I took was a little ugly, it led to more information.

In the past I have most definitely suppressed some of my feelings. Anger is a good example. My sister helped me find Shadow Work which opened up a whole new perspective for me. Letting myself feel some of the dark things, instead of boxing them up (which my therapist pointed out I might be doing). I feel it’s right to overlay maturity in how I manage those feelings, and the actions I take – not to do so feels reckless. But the key is to give them airtime, let them breathe.

There are lots of reasons we might tuck our feels away, fear of upsetting someone, worry it will make us look a certain way, concern of the impact. For me, as long as some maturity is applied, the impact is often positive in that it builds deeper relationships if the other person has the skill to work through it as well.

There is a real peace to be found by accepting your feelings – the good, bad and the ugly. I’m not sure I believe in fate in terms of having a pre-determined destination that I can’t influence, but I have seen that whatever action you take it moves you forward and there is confidence and liberation to be found in that.