I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore
The freedom you seek isn’t in controlling your emotions but in allowing them to be without judgment.
Joe Hudson
The air hums with new life as I step into my woods this spring, the scent of damp earth and budding leaves pulling me deeper.
Each footfall reveals something I missed in the fall and winter
As trees sprout leaves at different rates, certain species stand out. I’ve discovered far more black cherry trees than I expected
I’ve also noticed faint game trails, etched through the undergrowth by deer, weaving a subtle network away from the main path.
The main trail is wide and clear, occasionally splitting into two. As I walk, I can choose left or right — or follow a game trail to explore uncharted areas.
Our emotional lives mirror this landscape.
We often see only two paths: let emotions run wild or keep them tightly controlled.
But there’s a third option — to accept our emotions without judgment and venture into new territory.
As children, we learned that unrestrained emotions led to consequences. “Because I felt like it” was never an excuse for misbehavior.
So, we were taught to manage our emotions, and as adults, many of us have lost touch with what we truly feel.
Ironically, suppressing emotions gives them more power over our behavior and moods.
This can manifest as childish outbursts, like temper tantrums, or more subtly as passive-aggressive behavior.
The harder we fight an emotion, the more it controls us.
When we acknowledge our feelings, we can process and learn from them.
We’re often told to set emotions aside when making decisions, but that’s impossible — and unwise.
Every decision is shaped by emotions. By understanding and accepting them, we make better choices, as emotions reveal insights our rational minds might miss.
Emotional awareness offers another benefit: it shields us from manipulation.
Persuasion and influence target our emotions. The better we understand our feelings, the harder it is for others to sway us.
Believing we’re immune to manipulation is a mistake — but emotional awareness, like any skill, can be honed.
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