YOU ARE FREE TO FEEL WHAT YOU NEED TO FEEL
Even here,
you are worthy
of a safe space
to express how
you truly feel.
Feel what you need to feel while also knowing: not everyone will be able to enter into that space with you, <<First Name>>. There is a rawness and depth in your emotions that some people might not be in a position to receive…especially when it comes to feelings of sadness, confusion, or discouragement. Not everyone will be able to be present to you and that’s okay…because as long as you are living, there is still time to find the places where you feel safe to open up.
So be mindful of who you share your feelings with and allow into intimate spaces. When you share your feelings with others, it is an intimate and personal experience. Let yourself be selective about who you choose to show this side of yourself because there are people who are not ready to enter into that space with you.
In an ideal world, perhaps you would be able to share what is in your heart with everyone. You might even dream of a future where the people closest to you are more integrated into every aspect of your life. If you’re feeling this, you might be starting to see that you have a big heart that cares deeply about connection. Maybe you’ve struggled with being a people-pleaser or feeling responsible for other people’s emotions. If that’s where you are, know this: the fact that you’re noticing that this is difficult means that you are growing in awareness. Growing in awareness that something needs to change here. You are growing in the awareness that there is freedom in setting boundaries.
It takes great strength and courage to set boundaries around the intimate spaces you bring people into. Even after you’ve set those boundaries, you might wonder if you made the right decision. You might feel awful when someone reacts negatively. And at the same time, you are becoming more aware and prepared for handling raw emotions.
Whether you’re feeling unsettled, regretful, heartbroken…facing raw emotions is not easy. At times it can feel like looking into a mirror and the reflection staring back is distorted and blurry and not a full reflection of the true person. And that’s because what’s happening is that by facing raw emotions and allowing oneself to feel them, you are becoming more aware of what’s going on in your heart. But that doesn’t mean that’s all of who you are. There is so much more to your life than what you are feeling.
What matters is that you allow yourself to feel and seek out trusted support. Just because you’re not able to share the depths of your emotions with everyone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share them at all. By learning to truly feel your emotions and create boundaries for whom you share them, you can begin to grow in the beautiful realization that there is room for you in the world…including the raw, honest parts of yourself that can be hard to allow to be seen.
And there is still time to find safe spaces to share what you’re feeling.
Start with a journal.
Start with one trusted friend.
A prayer.
A good therapist.
A calming playlist.
An open heart that still believes that for all of the times you have felt misunderstood or unable to share your true emotions, there is still time to cultivate new experiences. Experiences that remind you that you are free to feel what you need to feel without judgment or shame.
So here’s to allowing yourself to feel your emotions and trusting that there are safe spaces to share them.
Word of the day: Safe (adj) "not involving or likely to involve danger, harm, or loss" (Merriam Webster)
Journal Prompt: Write about a time when you felt misunderstood or unable to share your emotions. What did you learn from that experience?
Affirmation: "I am giving myself permission to seek out safe spaces to share what I feel."
More in this week's series called "You Are Free To Feel", only with a subscription in the Storyteller App.
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols
