How emotion allows us to be more human.

In a world that is so fast-paced, people often brush off or forget to check in on themselves. Though it might sound strange, giving ourselves time to reflect on how we feel is a valuable skill that people often overlook. 

Emotions are an important indicator and unifier among people. 

For example, when we feel sad or angry, these emotions signal us to reflect and understand what has made us upset. 

Keep in mind emotions are never random, although they can seem that way. 

Giving ourselves time to reflect can unearth insights into the ways that we think and how we perceive the world around us. 

Digging further

I want you to imagine a scenario. You study very hard for an important test. After taking the test you feel worried about your score. A few days later the teacher hands out the test results and your heart slumps when you see an 87 on the top corner of the page. Throughout the day you have become more irritable and less motivated. 

Now what does this mean? 

Some people, if not many would be perfectly happy to receive a passing grade like this. Others not so much. As you give yourself time to reflect you may learn over time that you have the tendency to define your worth by your ability to perform or do a good job. This is more common than you might think and I myself had to work through this when I was younger. 

After we come to a realization how do we move forward? 

Often we may understand something logically or we may hear something we know we should work on. But it doesn’t resonate with our hearts. 

This is a sign that we are not fully accepting of whatever “this” may be. People take time to change and it is very normal to feel this disconnect from your brain to your heart.

One simple thing to help us move forward is to remind ourselves of this idea that we have learned and journal about how we can identify and change for the better.

I myself over time have come to accept that I may not do everything right, I will make mistakes, and I won’t always “Get that perfect grade”, but that does not define me as a person and can rest easy knowing that most importantly I gave it my best and I am still valued regardless of my imperfections.

Part 2 

Emotions and the connections they can form 

I now what to turn you attention to the importance of emotions as a unifier among people. 

Emotions can bring people together in many ways. 

Although we may not understand exactly what someone is going through we can often understand the emotions that they are feeling. As I have become older this has allowed me to make more connections. Supporting others when they feel down, and also celebrating their ups. 

Remember emotions are a beautiful part of life and can be very rewarding when we work to understand them and reflect.