Are your feelings about the past holding you back? Read on…
A Reader writes:
I’m so angry about things that have happened to me, but I don’t dare to express my anger. Keeping these feelings inside, they feel like they are toxic to me.
I want to let go of what happened, and my anger, but I can’t. How do I release my past?
Dear Reader:
It sounds like your feelings about what happened to you are waiting for something… something from you.
They might be waiting for something as simple as “I hear you, and I know you are there.”
A lot of people argue with their feelings. “You shouldn’t feel that way,” we tell ourselves.
Feelings are feelings! Not allowing our feelings keeps them stuck. Feeling and acknowledging our feelings allows the next steps to come.
I understand you don’t want to express your anger. But that’s not what I mean when I say “allowing your feelings.” I mean that you, inside you, say to your anger, “Yes, I know, I get how angry you are about all that.”
You might want to add, “And no wonder.” To acknowledge that it all makes sense.
And then… maybe there’s a shift. Maybe something comes up after the anger. Sadness perhaps.
And then you acknowledge that, “Hello sadness, I know you are here too.”
Yes, you could also say, “Something in me is sad.” But that’s not as important here as the simple step of acknowledging. After you acknowledge what you feel, fresh new steps can emerge. Try it!
